The Golden Rule
by LizzeXX
Summary: Gold/OC - Emma's actions in the past have put the Pied Piper and the Dark One ill at ease. As they both work to free him from the Dagger's control, they may encounter obstacles they never expected and face the worst betrayals imaginable. When the bonds of family and ties of loyalty are strained, will it only be a matter of time before they're severed? Fourth in the Bedtime Stories.
1. A Tale of Two Sisters

A/N: Hey there! Welcome to the fourth story, The Golden Rule, of my Once Upon a Time Series Bedtime Stories :) I would recommend for new readers read the first three stories (All That Glitters, Every Rose Has Its Thorns, and Phantom Melodies) to understand my OC, Piper (AKA Rose Red) and her relationship to Gold/Rumpelstiltskin as well as her ties to Snow White. This will be a Gold/OC story, the pairing name officially Dark Rose, and will be around 40 chapters long, updated daily too ;) This story will follow the episodes more in terms of what's happening with the OC, but will also have an Enchanted Forest flashback/backstory chapter afterwards and some more of the 'Missing Year' chapters too :)

A short physical description of Piper is that she's a tall, blonde woman, with forest green eyes (like Snow's). She tends to wear boots that she keeps her playing pipe in one, and the dagger of the Dark One in the other. She likes to wear colors, though Gold (or as she calls him, Rummy) prefers her in black ;) She also has a necklace of a small purple powder from the Enchanted Forest given to her by Gold. She appears to be about 40ish years old, though she is actually much older. For a reference, an actress I see as being similar to her is Sophia Myles ;)

~8~ is a scene break.

Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time...or certain 'shock value' events from Season 4 would _not_ have happened :)

~8~

A Tale of Two Sisters

Piper glanced over at Gold as they watched, feeling as though they were the only ones even aware of, Regina striding out of the diner, tears in her eyes for the reunion that had just happened before them between Robin Hood and his not-dead wife.

"This is not going to end well," she remarked to the man.

It wasn't even just that this, having a happy ending snatched away from her yet again by Snow White's family, would be a great temptation for the Evil Queen to be released. It wasn't even that, the Evil Queen was NOT the greatest threat to the town now. No, it was that two Laws of Magic had been broken by Emma's actions. And the consequences for everyone could be dire.

"No, Pip, I daren't think it will," Gold muttered.

Piper let out a deep breath when Emma finally noticed that Regina had rushed out and went after her. She stood, giving Gold a look and a nod towards the 'happy couple' still clinging to each other in the middle of the diner. He returned the nod and settled his hands on his cane to watch them while Piper headed out of the diner after Emma. She loved her family dearly, her niece very much, but Emma was not exactly the most empathetic to villains and she had inherited her mother and father's sense of moral justice and justification far too much for her to feel comfortable in leaving a heartbroken and angry former-evil queen alone with Emma in the chance Emma said the absolute worst thing to the woman and found herself facing down a fireball.

"I'm sorry," she heard Emma speaking as she stepped out into the night, watching as Emma paused in her approach of the woman, Regina standing just at the end of the path to Granny's with her back to Emma.

She would be willing to wager the Dark One's Dagger that Regina was doing so to keep Emma or anyone that might come after her from seeing her on the verge of crying.

"When I brought Marian back, I didn't know who she was," Emma defended, not seeming to realize Piper had joined them, nor that the woman was rolling her eyes at that, as though that mattered in the long run, time ought to have NOT been tampered with at all, "I didn't intend to cause you pain."

Well they all knew where the road that was paved with good intentions led to…

"Well, your intentions really don't matter," Regina spun around, "Because, once again, I've felt the brunt of heroism," her gaze flickered over Emma's shoulder at Piper as she slowly approached, "Always the villain," she muttered, a small scoff ending her words, "Even when I'm not."

And that was the worst of it, wasn't it? She tried SO hard to be good, to make amends and move from her past…and she constantly lost her happy ending. And yet there she was, the Pied Piper, another villain, the true love of the Dark One himself…and the two of them, who had, together, caused more carnage and destruction than she ever could, had their happy ending with each other.

No, it wasn't villains that suffered, just her. Only her.

"What was I supposed to do?!" Emma threw her arms out.

"Leave her," Piper answered, stepping up between the two women, looking at them both before focusing on Emma, "Time travel, altering time, Emma, is a Law of Magic, one you broke. On top of that, you also broke a second law to not bring back the dead, and Marian was very much dead from what Robin Hood recalled before all this happened."

"I am not gonna apologize for saving someone's life!" Emma nearly shouted, almost seeming surprised that Piper was defending Regina over her given how loyal Sirens were supposed to be over their families.

"If she died in the past, Emma, then she was meant to die," Piper tried to explain, "What if you had gone back and saved Hitler? Brought HIM to the present?"

"Marian isn't Hitler!" Emma huffed, "She is a human being. And whatever she did, she didn't deserve to die."

"Well, maybe she did," Regina snapped.

"Well, you would know," Emma shot her a look, "I saved her from YOU."

"Marian was an outlaw, as best I can recall," Piper countered, giving Regina a moment to pull herself together from that rather big shock, "She had a warrant out for her head as did her husband. Does it matter if Regina executed her for helping Snow or if another king had executed her for theft? Death is death, you should not have changed it."

"The woman who did that," Regina added, "That was the person I _was_ , not the person I _am_. I worked _very_ hard to build a future. A future that's now gone."

"You don't know that…" Emma frowned.

Piper snorted, "'Till Death do us part,'" she recited, "It was very, very firm a promise in our Land, Emma. Death has been retracted now. The vow is in place once more. YOU were the one that did not condone Mary Margaret's illicit affair with her own husband. You believe Robin would have one against his wife?"

"Yes, thank you," Regina shot Piper an angry look for that reminder.

"Regina, I'm sorry that you're in pain," Emma tried again, "If there's anything I can do to help…"

"Swan," Regina held up a hand, "The more you try to help, the worse my life becomes."

All three women looked over at the diner door as the bell jingled, Robin stepping through and leading Marian out, "Marian, please, meet her," he was pleading with the woman, clearly speaking of Regina, "She's not at all what you think," he turned around, spotting Regina still standing there and approached her, Emma and Piper backing away slightly, "Regina I…" he didn't seem to know what to say and gestured back and forth between her and Marian as she stepped across from Regina, "I want you to meet Marian. I…I want us to talk about this…"

"Wait," Marian cut in, "Were you two are you two together?!"

Piper, who had looked over at the diner door when she heard the bell jingle to see Mary Margaret, David, Henry, and Gold step out, turned back to look at the woman, a frown on her face.

How on earth would she come to THAT conclusion?

Robin wasn't standing especially close to Regina, he had a hand on her elbow but Regina wasn't especially receptive of his touch at the moment. He'd just hugged his wife and kissed her forehead before. He couldn't have had time (or mind) to tell Marian about the relationship he and Regina shared while in the diner, not when it sounded like he was just trying to get the woman to speak to the Queen. For all that could be guessed, Robin was just asking her to meet the woman as a way for Regina to apologize, or to show that his wife would be safe here.

There was really no logical reason for Marian to jump to that conclusion…

Which was quite suspicious.

She frowned, listening intently to Marian's song, she'd heard it vaguely when she and Rumpelstiltskin had hunted Robin Hood down in the Enchanted Forest, it sounded familiar in that sense, as far as she could tell, this was the real Marian but that jump to conclusion was just….odd, very odd. She winced a moment later, her head starting to throb as she heard Robin and Regina's songs mixing with Marian's in a very...poor way. It was like the flow of Regina and Robin's song was being disrupted, like there was an intrusion or third instrument not meant to be there. It was giving her a headache.

"Marian, please," Robin began, though the fact he hadn't denied it only served to confirm Marian's suspicions.

"You and the Evil Queen?!" Marian raged, "Did you let her near my son? Do you know what she's done? The terror that she's inflicted?"

"I would say her deeds are equal to mine," Piper offered, a small scoffing laugh on her tongue as she tried to focus on the present and force her headache down, "Hello Maid Marian," she greeted, "I am the Pied Piper."

Marian stepped back from that, clutching Roland, whose hand she'd been holding, tighter to her, moving him behind her legs, "Robin!" she hissed at her husband, her eyes wide, as though she couldn't believe so many villains and evil doers were surrounding her and her husband was just standing there.

"Is everything ok?" Mary Margaret asked, eyeing the small scene.

"Well, no one's been incinerated yet, so that's a good sign," David remarked.

"Regina," Mary Margaret stepped beside Piper, getting a better look at her former-step-mother, "You alright?"

Marian seemed horrified when, without even hesitating or glancing over, Mary Margaret passed the baby in her arms over to Piper when the woman gestured to hold the boy, "What are you doing!?"

"Holding my nephew," Piper stated, sounding entirely uninterested.

Marian shook her head as Gold stepped over, the Dark One, and placed a hand on Piper's waist, standing behind her and smirking, "What is _wrong_ with you people?!" she cried, "Why are you just…" she shook her head, not even sure what to start with, but turned on Regina, seeing her as the more urgent matter, "Why are you even talking to her? Don't you know who she is?!"

"Mom," Henry called, looking at Regina, giving Marian yet another heartattack that someone would call the Evil Queen 'mother,' "What's going on?"

"She's a monster!" Marian pointed an accusing finger at Regina.

"Hardly," Piper scoffed, "Monster means not-human. She is very much human, unlike me," she gave Marian a hard look, "I would appreciate your consideration in labeling here, Maid Marian."

Despite Piper's words, Regina had already turned and stalked off, ignoring Robin's shouts and attempt to go after her. As much as Piper would have rather not had Regina storm off in a fury, the pressure in her head was starting to lessen the further Regina's song got from her.

"Regina…" Emma moved to follow as well when Robin was forced to hurry after Marian, who had, similarly, picked up Roland and started to head away.

But Hook reached out and snagged her arm with his hook, "No good has ever come of pushing that woman," Hook warned her, "Give her space."

"Yeah," David sighed, "But it's what she does in that space I'm worried about."

Henry turned to him, alarmed, "You don't think she'll become evil again. She can't. She's come too far!"

"I hope you're right, kid," Emma murmured.

Piper rolled her eyes, "If Regina does not kill her, I will be sorely tempted to do so," she shrugged.

"Rose!" Mary Margaret gaped.

"Your daughter broke TWO Laws of Magic, Snow," Piper explained, "We cannot go back in time and right what she has altered, make amends for the first broken law, but we CAN fix the second. The past cannot be changed. The dead cannot be returned to life. Those are the _Laws_ of Magic, not just mere rules. And magic WILL come back to see the damage repaired, I am merely saying, to prevent that, to restore the balance and prevent Death from taking someone else's life, perhaps the newest life," she shuffled Neal in her arms with a point, "We MAY have to consider that Marian's life must be forfeit."

"It's not going to come to that," Emma defended, trying to sound firm.

"You sure about that dearie?" Gold asked, "Sure enough to risk the life of your brother on your folly? Tell me, how long have you been studying magic and the laws and rules and limitations of it?"

Emma was silent at that.

"Here," Piper sighed, handing Neal back to her cousin, "Rummy and I shall see if there is anything else we can do."

Gold's lips pursed at that, but he remained silent till they had turned and walked away, "We're going to save the forest maid now?"

"Hardly," Piper scoffed, "But it shall give us an excuse and cover for our _other_ research," she shot him a smirk, making him grin as well.

While they were looking for a way to free him from his Dagger's control, everyone else would be thinking they were working to save Marian.

And, if the time came, where they had to ask if there WAS a way to save the woman…well, they'd be believed when they inevitably said 'no, let the wretch die.'

~8~

The next morning would find Piper and Gold standing before the grave of Baelfire, silent, solemn, their hands tightly clasped in the others'. It had taken time for them both to get there, both mentally, emotionally, and physically. It was hard for them to stand at the grave. It had been difficult for Piper to have been there for the funeral of the boy who was like, and should have been, a son to her, the boy who was the child of her true love. It was unbearable now that she had her memories of what had led to his death, of her role in it.

It was even more heartbreaking for Gold, he had tried so hard to get back to his boy. His entire plan, the Dark Curse, all of it had been his way of finding his son. All of it, everything he'd ever done had been for Baelfire…and now he was gone.

Piper squeezed his hand in support, letting it go a moment later so that he could kneel down before the gravestone, "My boy," he began, "Remember when you were small, there was a night, during the Ogre's War? There was a terrible noise. It was horses' hooves thundering down the dusty path. You crawled into my bed and…I can still hear your little voice. 'Papa. I'm afraid,'" he sniffled, spurring Piper to step closer, placing her hand on his shoulder, "And I guess by instinct, I just said, 'don't you worry, son. Everything's gonna be fine.' And you smiled at me. You know, that was the happiest moment of my life because, for the first time ever, I felt like a man that I could truly look after you, alone. Until I discovered this," he held out a hand to Piper who leaned over, pulling his dagger out of her boot to hand to him, "This," he shook his head at it, "It turned me into a monster, obsessed with power, when all I really needed was you, your love. And now, through my Pip," he shifted, lowering his one hand holding the Dagger and reaching with the other one to place it on his shoulder, on top of Piper's hand, "There's love in my life again. I've avenged your death, son, Pip helped," he turned, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand, "She loved you, you know, she would…she would have been a good mother to you, she loves us both. You died for me, for your papa, and I've failed you so many times in my life, because of this dagger," he lifted it, shaking it slightly, "But it won't rule me for long," he promised, "It won't cause me any more pain soon. It won't have a power over me, I won't be that monster any longer. All of this, everything that's happened, is because of this Dagger and I won't let it happen again. We…" he swallowed and glanced at Piper, the woman silent, looking down at him with tears in her eyes, "We want to try and have a child again, a little brother or sister for you," he looked back at the grave, "I promise you, Bae, I'll find a way to free myself from this wretched blade, just as you always wanted for me."

He shifted, about to stand…when Piper moved first, kneeling in the dirt beside him.

"Pip?" he murmured.

"May I?" she asked him, he nodded, so she took a breath and turned back to the stone, reaching out to place her free hand on it, "My deepest apologies, Baelfire," she began, "It is MY fault this happened to you," she closed her eyes at that, "It is…difficult, for a Siren to be away from the ones they love. In some cases, it can be consuming. To see Rummy 'die' before me and be away from him after, to have so many people tell me he was well and truly gone…" she swallowed hard, taking a deep breath when she felt Gold squeeze her hand, knowing that this was hard for her to do, to express the emotion she was. Sirens were a hard race, talking about something that was bringing tears to her eyes was a rare thing, "I just wanted him back," her voice cracked at that so she took a deeper breath, swallowing hard and not speaking for a moment till she could gather herself, "I am truly so sorry Bae, you were a hero at heart and I should have known that you would not allow Belle to be sacrificed. I should have known you would try to stop me using her in such a way and I failed, I failed to see it, I failed you, and…" she forced her eyes open and looked over at Gold, "I failed you, Rummy. I am sorry."

Gold leaned forward and put his arms around her, hugging her tightly as she began to shake in his arms, sniffling quietly, wet spots starting to leak through his jacket from her tears.

He didn't blame her for what happened to his son, not at all. Belle was a nuisance to them, if he'd had the opportunity, he would have gladly used Belle's life to allow himself to return, just like Piper had. He doubted even HE would have realized that Baelfire would have worked out the plan and tried to protect Belle from them given how little Baelfire had enjoyed or wished to learn about magic. Bae made his choice, and because of his actions he truly did die as a hero.

He had been in his boy's mind, or Bae had been in his, and he could see then even Baelfire didn't blame Piper. He could have stayed by, could have allowed it to happen to get his father back, but he knew his son wouldn't. Baelfire had jumped in the way before anyone could react least of all before Piper even realized what had happened.

"I don't blame you, Pip," he murmured in her ear, "Zelena was going to take away everything from me, not just my free will, but you, Bae…" he squeezed her tighter, "Bae died a hero, just as he always wished to be," he pulled away, reaching up his hand to touch her cheek, catching a tear that was falling from her eye with his thumb and brushing it away, "You made him a hero."

"He should not have died though," she whispered.

He swallowed hard at that, "Parents shouldn't have to bury their children," he agreed, closing his eyes at the thought that he hadn't even been able to attend, to do the burying. This was the first time he was at his son's grave, and it hit him hard that there was a grave at all, that his son was down there.

All he could do was tighten his grip on her and offer her the comfort she was offering him at the same time.

~8~

"It should be just around that bend," Piper spoke, directing Gold as he drove his car through the forest of Storybrooke, "I overheard one of Robin Hood's men talking of it while in Granny's. There is a house in the middle of the woods and, from what I recall, it was not there during the first curse. The men were planning to ransack it, but Robin stopped them apparently," she hummed at that in thought.

"It must have come over in the last curse," Gold remarked.

"It is possible, yet there is no one living in it, why bring a house and then not claim it?" she wondered, "If no one is there, however, we could use it as a base."

"A base?" Gold glanced at her.

She nodded, "If we are going to find a way to free you from that Dagger, Rummy, if anyone found out…"

"They'd stop us," he agreed, realizing what she was getting at, "They expect us to be at the shop or at home, we need a third undocumented location. Clever."

Piper smiled at that, "We can keep our research here," she blinked as the house…more like a mansion, came into sight, "There should be ample room to hide it," she added. The house was enormous, "I wonder whose house this is…"

"Perhaps they left a clue," Gold mused, parking the car, allowing the two of them to get out and head up to it.

They cautiously entered the building, glancing at each other for how the doors were unlocked, knowing it could mean anyone or anything was inside. The house seemed almost larger on the inside, with high ceilings, wide halls, large rooms and archways. It was tasteful and regal in an old-fashioned way and they made their way through each and every room, being careful to observe all that they could, making mental notes about what was there.

It wasn't till they reached a large ballroom that they stopped.

"Well, well, well," Gold started to smile.

"This reminds me of Snow's castle," Piper tilted her head, eyeing the room, stepping further into it, "We used to come to the ballrooms at times, escaping our studies, to play or build a hiding spot, or practice our dancing," she smiled a bit, "Sometimes I would practice my music for her."

"Will you?" Gold asked, making her turn to look at him, "For me?"

She smiled, "For you, Rummy, anything," she leaned over and picked her pipe out of her boot, lifting it to her lips and playing a tune for him.

He had heard her play a lullaby he used to sing to Bae before, many times, but there was something different about it now, something…more. It was like a combination of the acoustic, the room creating an echo and a support for the song coupled with the natural magic of her music. He closed his eyes, allowing the song to wash over him…

Only for a frown to slowly form on his face moments later.

"Pip," he held up a finger, gently telling her to stop.

"What is it?" she lowered the pipe, seeing his expression, "Rummy?"

"I sense magic here," he murmured, opening his eyes. He held out a hand to her, not about to leave her alone now that he knew there was something else there and not knowing what it was.

She slipped her pipe into her boot as she took his hand, following him out of the room, allowing him to lead her towards the source of the magic that he'd sensed. They moved through the halls, coming to a study of sorts.

Gold stopped in the doorway, staring ahead at something that was resting on a desk across the room. Piper frowned, glancing at Gold and then the item, though he still didn't move. She reached out her free hand and placed it on his arm in support and a little in question. He glanced at her a moment before taking a breath and stepping into the room, walking over to the desk to look down at the item.

"A…miniature bucket?" Piper inquired as she saw the item more clearly. It looked like a very small wooden bucket, but clearly made of some sort of metal, sculpted to look like one then.

"Oh…much more than that, Pip," he murmured, reaching out to take the item, fiddling it around in his fingers, "This…this might be just what we need to free me from the dagger."

"…a bucket?" she gave him an odd look.

He chuckled, "No, now…" he placed it down and looked at her, holding out his hand, "My dagger, if you would?"

Without even hesitating she pulled the dagger from her other boot and handed it over to him, watching as he turned to the small not-bucket and waved the dagger over it. Her eyes widened as the top of the not-bucket seemed to fade away, revealing what looked like a small galaxy within. The dust of it began to flow over the top of the item, starting to swirl up and form into a more solid shape…a hat, a pointed hat that seemed to have the stars and space within it, shining through the near sheer blue material of the hat.

"Excellent," Gold grinned at it, seeming so overwhelmingly pleased that he had to brace himself on the desk in his glee, "Pip…" he looked at her, "This changes everything."

Piper opened her mouth to ask him exactly what the hat was or did…when her phone went off.

"It is Emma," she frowned, glancing at Gold, he gestured her on, both of them knowing that family would always come first. Until they had a more set plan and idea of what to do, there was really nothing more that could be done right at that very second. Piper nodded and answered, "Emma?" she blinked, "There is a what-beast walking through the forest?"

~8~

Piper hadn't exactly thought Emma had her wits about her when she had called and said there was a snow-beast heading for the forest on the attack. But, just as she had reached Robin Hood's camp where Emma had instructed her to go, she had found herself corrected in her thoughts as a large brute that truly WAS made of snow was standing before Robin, Little John, Marian, Emma, David, and Hook, roaring at them…with an arrow in its shoulder.

She was now questioning the wits of Robin's men as she saw Little John lower a crossbow, clearly the one who had shot the beast. Did they truly think that a measly stick would do anything against a creature made of SNOW? Unless that arrow had been on fire, there was next to nothing it would do save enrage the beast.

"Emma!" Piper ran over to her, trying to get a better look at the beast.

"Pistol, sword, hook, my cunning wit," Hook muttered, listing their assets, the last one had Piper rolling her eyes at him, "I don't think we have what it takes."

"What about you?" Emma turned to Piper.

"Me? How am I supposed to be of use against a snow-beast?" Piper gave her a look.

"You're a Siren, aren't you? Don't you have control of water?"

"Have you ever seen me control water?" Piper seemed very unimpressed, "I control _minds_ , Emma, music, and that is not helpful when something has no ears," she gestured at the creature that didn't appear to have any, "I cannot help with something like that, minds, not…not water, not snow," she could try to blast it with her pipe, gather up enough energy and fire at the beast, but if it was snow…chances were it would reform or just be blasted to bits, but snow was already just a massive amount of bits that stuck together, "My magic does not work that way."

"But Emma's does!" David seemed to realize, looking at Emma, "YOU can do it."

"What?" Emma shook her head.

"Your magic, love," Hook reminded her.

"Right…" Emma blinked, glancing at Piper who nodded encouragingly and stepped to the side to allow Emma a clearer shot. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, holding up her hands to concentrate.

"You can do this…" Hook whispered to her.

"She is trying, your whispers are not helping her concentrate," Piper hissed at him, sending him a glare. She still did NOT like that pirate with her niece.

Emma pushed her hands forward, sending out a wave of white energy at the beast, striking it in the shoulder and making it roar and stumble back. She grinned as she opened her eyes, "Take that, frosty!"

Unfortunately, it didn't seem to be enough as the beast merely growled, even more angry, spikes and other icy, jagged bits starting to shoot out of its shoulders, head, arms, and back, making it even more menacing.

"Really?!" Emma cried.

"Watch out!" Piper shouted, trying to pull Emma back as the beast took a large step for them, roaring and swinging its arms out, knocking the lot of them back and onto the ground.

Piper groaned as she rolled on her side, having been on the edge of the line of people, she hadn't been struck as firmly as the others that had been its main target. She looked up, seeing that Marian, who had been on the other side of the line, was still standing…and moving towards the snow-beast with a bow and arrow.

"Idiots," she muttered under her breath, had they really not deduced that an arrow was USELESS against the creature? Why would you try one again?

It seemed, despite having seen Little John's arrow do nothing, Marian hadn't realized the pointlessness of it till the beast roared at her for firing at it and sent her falling to the ground as it stomped towards her.

"Please!" Marian gasped and, for a moment, Piper thought she was speaking to her, but when she looked closer, Marian wasn't even looking in her direction but towards a tree…a tree that Regina was stepping out from behind and moving before the beast to look at it, "Help me," Marian begged, "Please!" Regina glanced at her, smirking, before she disappeared, "No!"

Piper remained quiet and still even as Regina disappeared in a burst of purple smoke, leaving Marian to her fate. The beast lifted its enormous foot and moved to bring it down on the woman that had attacked him, ready to stomp her into dust…

When it suddenly burst into flames.

Piper would forever deny that she pouted at that.

But the snow cleared, melted away, to reveal Regina behind it, her hand raised from where she'd hurled a fireball at it. Finally, someone with sense.

Marian slowly got to her feet, eyeing Regina, "You saved me…"

Piper rolled her eyes at that, no, Regina had thrown a tea party. She shook her head and started to push herself to her feet, moving to check on Emma as Robin and the others came to.

"Marian!" Robin hurried beside his wife, spotting the other woman standing there in her white suit and skirt, "Regina…" he breathed, seeming about to take a step towards her before he realized his wife was beside him and turned to her instead, "Are you alright?"

"Yes," Marian answered, glancing over at Regina, "Maybe you're not a monster."

"Maybe I'm not," Regina agreed, her voice purposefully and forcefully flat, "Welcome to Storybrooke, Marian."

"Regina," Emma gasped as Piper got her standing, "We've been trying to find you. We need to talk about…" but before she could even finish, Regina disappeared in a swirl of smoke once more.

Piper shook her head, "Heroes and villains operate on very different levels, Emma," she gave the girl some advice, "Regina will have to work through this and how it makes her feel before she is ready to talk about it. And your empty apologies are not going to make her any more forgiving," she held up a hand to cut Emma off, "Until you truly _regret_ saving Marian's life in the past, you will never truly be _sorry_ for what you have done in the present and your apologies will never be entirely sincere."

"Yeah?" Emma scoffed, "And what if she works through it and feels angry and turns evil again?"

Piper, not up for Emma's attitude at the moment given she'd have to leave Gold in the middle of what seemed to be a great discovery, gave her an unimpressed look, "Well, then that would be on YOU, would it not?" she sighed, seeing Emma flinch at the reminder of what she'd done, "You were wrong to do what you did Emma, regardless of intention or heroism, the past is the past for a reason and should not be changed lest the future be altered irreversibly," she gave her a pointed look, "Instead of fretting about Regina, would it not be best to focus on how to fix your mistakes instead?"

"I'm not going to kill her," Emma told her quietly, glancing at Marian as she dabbed at Little John's head where he'd been cut in his fall.

"I know YOU will not," Piper rolled her eyes, her words half teasing and half serious, the implication that someone else would undoubtedly kill Marian not lost to either of them, "But it would better serve you to practice your magic, to learn all you can about it, before Magic itself comes to right your wrongs. IF magic were to come for your brother, you especially must be ready to protect him, do you not think?"

Emma swallowed hard at that but nodded.

Piper gave her a nod as well before she turned to leave. She knew she hadn't completely gotten through to Emma, hadn't made her realize the true magnitude of what she'd done and how WRONG it had been…but at least she'd made her realize that the consequences could be far more than the girl ever thought and, perhaps, one day, when the consequences came knocking, Emma would truly understand and learn from this.

~8~

Emma stood before the door to Regina's office in Town Hall, knocking on it as it was locked, "Regina?" she called through it, but no response came, "I know you're in there. I can see the light's on," she waited a moment but when silence reigned still she sighed, "I know this is all complicated, but you _can_ have happiness. I know it doesn't seem like it, but you just have to fight. Ok?" she shook her head, "And if you won't, I will. Henry brought me to Storybrooke to bring back the happy endings. My job's not done until I do that for everyone, including you."

And with that, Emma turned and strode off.

Piper stepped out from around a corner as Emma walked off, waiting till the blonde woman was out of sight before she moved over to the same door to Regina's office, "The promises of heroes," she began with a sigh, "But I am not any such thing, I am not my cousin nor her daughter. Know that I was conscious during the snow beast's attack and there was a reason even I did not help the forest maid," she glanced to the stairs, making sure Emma wasn't about to head back and try to break down the door, "We have come to a truce, you and I," she reminded Regina before turning back to the door, "Know this as well…should you require support in…ridding the town her, I would be all too happy to assist."

She waited a moment longer before she nodded her head and turned to walk away, leaving Regina to her thoughts, but also finding her own thoughts were racing in her mind.

Because to offer assistance to Regina in this matter…meant also going against her family too.

A/N: Given some surprises in the last handful of episodes regarding Marian, namely from Heart of Gold. I can say there IS a reason that Piper is in the dark about it compared to past similar instances of deception and it will be explained in the end ;)

Also, to anyone following my Calm Before the Storm-Hook/OC story, I WILL be updating that again, but it will not be till mid-August. I want to get through this story first as Piper only needs to be caught up 1 season where as Lyssa is 3 seasons. I'll then break up the two OUAT stories by completing a Lord of the Rings story between them, and continuing with Lyssa right after. Her story WILL be resumed and it WILL be completed, I'm just trying to get things wrapped up and do them in terms of length, Piper's story is shorter to complete than Lyssa's and so on ;) So I apologize for the delay with Lyssa, but she will be resumed before Summer is over ;)

And I just want to say thank you to all of you for your understanding about the lateness of posting this series. My father is on the road of being declared Cancer Free and is recovering well and it really means a lot to me the support I received from readers and the understanding of the pauses I had to take in posting. I hope to be able to resume the stories and keep them going with no interruptions from here on out. In fact, to celebrate being back, today we should be getting a new story/chapter of other works just about every 2 hours ;)

I have, unfortunately, been forced to revise my stories for 2015 :( The new schedule of what will be updated/posted in 2015 and when is on my tumblr.

Some notes on reviews...(from the end of Phantom Melodies)...

You're very right that Piper is worse than Hook, she's said and implied many many times she is a hypocrite, it's a flaw of hers. Though she didn't try to kill Belle out of jealousy, she's very secure in her relationship with Gold, she wanted to use Belle as she knew that the only way to free the Dark One was to use a human sacrifice and she thought it would kill two birds with one stone to use Belle, Gold would be free and someone that was an annoyance to both of them would be gone ;) She's never been jealous of Belle, she finds her irritating and annoying and a hindrance and, to her, getting rid of her wouldn't be any skin off her nose so to speak. In general, I think humans are very much hypocrites when it comes more to people we care about. My brother would punch out any boyfriend of my sister or I if they dared upset our mother, but HE has no problem at all raging at her and making her cry himself :/ Piper finds her own actions justified at times while at others she fully admits that's just how she is and what she wanted to do, and she wants someone that she can trust with her niece, she doesn't trust Hook with Emma, because she knows what SHE is like as a villain and she wants better for her heroic niece. And, being part Siren, with Hook not being blood family or her true love (like Gold is), it's even harder for him to gain her trust with how hardened Piper's heart is (like stone) by now :( But you are very right, Piper is far darker and has likely done worse things than Hook and should have no place to comment on things he's done, but a lot of people in the world should have no right to comment on certain situations or topics yet they still do and get involved and think it justified to do so :( Piper feels that, as Emma's aunt, she has a right to protect her niece and, as she is a hypocrite, she'll hate other villains that show an interest in Emma. I've never denied how Piper is nor has Piper. I'm glad you noticed ;)

For Piper's Oath, what Emma did was create a parallel story, she changed time so everything that Piper remembers currently in the story is the original time. She has no memory of the oath because for her it never happened, she remembers only the original story where Snow met Charming and everything happened as it originally did :) I took the forgetting potion as Gold forgets everything after a certain point, or forgets Emma's involvement, like how Snow could forget a person but remember everything else :) In the story Gold wasn't dead, just trapped, so Baelfire didn't bring him back from the dead in that sense ;) We'll have to wait and see who might leave town or not though ;) Ooh there's SO much planned for Piper in Season 4, I can't wait :)

That's cool, I just have a thing about age differences and I felt that they played Belle more as a late teenager in the show when we first met her and it was one thing that threw me off liking Rumbelle and I mentioned sometimes the age an actress or actor looks can sometimes affect how people feel about the pairing :) I've seen actresses that are in their late 20s, are almost 30, that literally look 15 so if I try to imagine them say…paired with the Doctor or Peter Capaldi, I'd be a little wary of it just from appearance. Even being 20 years younger than Robert, that could still technically make him her father lol, but that's just my opinion and to each his/her own ;) As for Maid Marian, I blame the writers for making her appear like just an obstacle to some viewers, there was a lot more potential for her story than they chose to utilize :( I still support Outlaw Queen regardless of Maid Marian though, but it's mostly because I seriously headcanon that Regina couldn't, in any universe, have killed her. Marian was an outlaw, she actually participated in thieving, she had to know how to pick locks. And with the Sheriff being a former fiancé, she likely knew how a jail or dungeon worked, I really and truly believe she would have been able to escape on her own had Emma not been there and died another way, as Robin said, he 'put her in harm's way during a job' and that was how he thought she died, I can't see a man like Robin believing she's dead without having physically buried her body, to just take someone's word for it and not hold out hope and search for her everywhere, and if that was the case and Regina did kill her he would have known and never ever started a relationship with her, which is why I think Emma messed up more of the timeline than she realized. But that's just my theory and reason for still liking Outlaw Queen :)

Oh it's going to get very messy }:) But we'll definitely see a few tweaks to the dagger plot and a little more of August ;) For Marian, I really took it as Robin would NOT think she was really dead unless he'd actually buried her body, which is why I really think Emma messed up more than she realized in the show, but I doubt the writers will every actually explore what really would have happened to Marian without Emma being there (I really think she'd have been able to break out on her own though, she was an outlaw, she had to know how to pick locks, and her fiancé was once a sheriff, she had to know how jails/dungeons worked).

Piper's anger at Emma's actions will definitely pop up throughout Season 4 yup ;) But they will really sit down and talk about it and Emma will actually bring it up during a moment that shocks Emma just a little ;) I'm glad the forgetting potion scene added a little more of a different POV to it, there are a ton of things that happen in OUAT that I really dislike so I try to think of other reasons for it happening :)

We'll have to see if there might be a marriage coming up one day ;)

LotR should start on July 25th :)


	2. A Tale of Two Cousins

A Tale of Two Cousins

Rose Red paused as she approached the door to her cousin, Snow White's bedroom in the girl's castle. She was staying with her cousin and uncle Leopold at the moment, the three of them residing in the Summer Palace for the season. The king's new wife, Regina, was staying in the other castle while they were there. She thought it was odd, that her uncle would leave his new wife behind, but he had said that he'd wanted the new Queen to have time to grow used to the main castle that they lived in before having her journey to the Summer Palace. He also wanted her to be able to grow used to the servants and the people that she'd be ruling over. The people would never accept her or grow to care for her as they had the prior queen, his beloved Eva, if she was not around for them to see and interact with. She thought that was a little unfair that he should leave Regina to meet the people on her own, but Snow had been so excited to come to the palace and, it was the first time in years that they were travelling there that Snow was happy for it. The Summer Palace had been one of Queen Eva's favorite places to go with Snow and the girl hadn't felt the same about the castle since her mother had passed.

She hadn't known how her cousin would really react to being in this place again once she was really there. Snow had gone on and on about how, while they were there, she wanted them to make the castle nicer for Regina for the next time she'd come there with her father and her. She had talked about all the different things that she couldn't wait to do with Regina there next time that she was almost afraid that Snow had forgotten the times they used to be there with Eva and, once she saw the castle again, she'd be sad once more. She hated when her cousin was sad.

Snow had gotten a little sad when they arrived, thinking about her mother, but she had perked up more than she was expecting her cousin to do. The children of the villagers that lived around the castle had helped perk Snow up even more. She was always so cheerful around others that she could play and interact with…

And that was one of the reasons she was coming to her cousin now.

While Snow was very happy around the other children…she wasn't.

It wasn't that she didn't like the village children in the sense that they were 'beneath' her…it was just that she didn't like the village children at all. They were…well, they were all very distant with each other. The children loved Snow, they had the best time around her and they were always laughing and smiling and having fun. She could tell because she could hear them from her bedroom window or the music room during times when she promised her parents she would continue with her lessons on her own…or the times she told Snow to go have a good time with them on her own.

It was only when SHE joined her cousin and the children that things were different. The children were still very amicable to Snow, were slightly so to her, but they tended to focus more on Snow than her. Which was just as well, she didn't really care to interact with the children really. There was still fun to be had but there was just…something off, she tried, very hard, to connect with the other children, to connect with anyone really but it only ever happened when it came to Snow. She was her cousin, her family, and it was like a second instinct inside her that Snow was the only one worth spending time with.

Her parents had warned her about what that meant, it meant her Siren half was growing stronger. They were an apathetic race to all those outside their blood, the blood connected them and their blood family was the only one they cared about. They had told her that when the feelings arose, a sort of disinterest, an uncaring quality seeping into her thoughts when it came to others, to try and make an effort to fight against them. They wanted her to try and make those connections outside her family, to…care about others.

She knew it wasn't their way of saying they didn't like who she was, her father loved a Siren regardless of her personality towards others and she knew her mother loved her father and had come to love his brother and her sister-in-law as well because they were important to the man she loved. She knew that they weren't trying to tell her that she was wrong to be who she was, that being a Siren, at least partly, was a bad thing. They both loved her just as she was and had sworn to the stars that they would always love her, no matter what she turned out like, or how much like a Siren she might become.

They were just…scared, for her, for her future and what others would do. She was the heir to her father's throne, she would be queen one day. It would be up to HER to care about her people and her kingdom and she needed to be able to care about something outside her family in order to do that. It could be beneficial, in a way, to look at a kingdom with some distance, to look at it as a whole instead of caring for every single person in it, sometimes sacrifices had to be made for the sake of the kingdom and sometimes certain people suffered for it to happen. Her parents didn't want her to come across to the people as uncaring or cold or disinterested

And that's why she was there, standing outside her cousin's room, staring at the door. She could hear Snow just on the other side of the door, singing softly, likely dancing with one of her stuffed animals as was her custom late at night just before bed. She hesitated to knock though, trying to determine if she really wanted to do this, if she was really about to ask her cousin to help her in a certain endeavor. But Snow was always so helpful and open to helping, she loved it, doing good, and well, if she couldn't turn to her cousin then who could she turn to?

So, with that in mind, she quickly rapped on the door, the singing inside cutting off abruptly before the sound of feet rushing to the door grew louder. A moment later the door was thrown open to reveal Snow in her nightgown, a stuffed animal in hand, smiling at her.

"Rosie!" Snow beamed.

"Frosty," Rose countered, her lip quirking when she saw her cousin give a small huff at the name.

"What are you doing here?" Snow tilted her head, before gasping, "Are we going to have a stay over?!"

Rose smiled more at that, their stay overs, where one would sleep in the other's room for the night, often no sleep at all happened as Snow would chatter long into the night unless no one was there for her to talk to. She liked sharing those nights with her cousin. She liked being alone more often than not but…recently…she had been feeling lonely and Snow was the best friend she had ever had and always made her feel less so. Normally their stay overs only happened the first night they were reunited after parting or the very last night before one of them would leave but, sometimes, they would have them through their visits and stays.

"No," Rose shook her head, "I…I had a question for you."

"What?" Snow asked, still smiling, "You know you can ask me anything Rose," she reached out to take her cousin's hand, squeezing it in encouragement.

Rose looked down at their hands a moment, she didn't usually like when other people touched her, but Snow, her family in general, was an exception to that, it was comforting when Snow did it, "I know," she murmured, returning her gaze to her cousin, "I wanted to ask for your help."

Snow laughed a little at that, her cousin could really draw things out couldn't she? "I thought so," she told Rose, "But WHAT?"

Rose looked away, down the hall, shifting slightly which made Snow's smile fall and laughter fade. Her cousin was rather big on maintaining eye contact, she was always so…confident. When she spoke to adults or even others, Rose would look them dead in the eye no matter how tall they were, which often made THEM look away to have such a direct contact. And she hardly ever shifted, was normally so oddly still that it could be disconcerting at times…unless she was uncomfortable. It was a tell, she knew, one that Rose did when she was either guilty, didn't want to admit to something, or was generally uncomfortable.

She couldn't think of anything that her cousin had done lately that she'd feel guilty about, she'd been at Rose's side nearly the entire day. Nor could she think of something Rose wouldn't talk to her about, she had always impressed on her cousin that she could talk to her openly about anything at all. So it had to be something else, something besides that, that was making her uncomfortable.

"Rosie?" she asked, squeezing Rose's hand after a long moment of silence.

Rose sighed and looked back at Snow, "I…want…the other children…to…to like me."

Snow blinked at that, "What?"

Rose only barely bit back a groan, "I don't think they like me much," she tried to explain, "I don't want to not be well liked when I am queen. I want…I want my people to like me, like they do father and Uncle Leopold. I don't think the children do and I…I need to know that I _can_ be liked or if…"

"If?" Snow squeezed her hand once more.

"Or if I'm a monster."

"Rose!" Snow gasped at that, "Why would you _ever_ think you were a monster?!"

Rose nearly gave her a look for that, "I hear what the other children call me Snow," she told her cousin quietly, "I know people are not very…accepting of mother, they seem to…to fear me," she admitted quietly, "I don't want to be feared."

Snow's eyes widened at the last whispered words of her cousin, able to see a small hint of tears in the girl's eyes before she pulled Rose into a tight hug. Her cousin had never expressed a concern over that before, had never said what she'd like others to feel around her. She heard the whispers about how odd her cousin was, she stopped them as best she could and, for so long, Rose hadn't seemed bothered by them, hadn't acknowledged them, but it seemed she had been affected after so many years of hearing them hissed behind her back.

But she could guess why she'd said nothing till now. Her cousin was always looking out for her despite HER being the older one, Rose was always trying to protect her. She wouldn't tell her about something that was upsetting her no matter how many times she told her that she would always be there to listen. Rose hated upsetting her, she'd rather play unaffected in front of others than let them know they were getting to her.

"Oh Rose," she murmured, "They don't fear you."

"They do Snow," Rose's voice trembled, "I know they do. And I don't want them to."

Snow nodded, "Then we'll change that," she pulled away, "We'll change it, I promise."

~8~

"Are you sure this is going to work Snow?" Rose asked as she followed her cousin down the steps of the Summer Palace, tugging at the dress she was wearing.

It was poofy, the shoulders were puffing out, the skirt seemed layered with too-much tool, and it was…pink. She preferred darker colors, blues and purples and greens, dark reds, not…pink. But it had either been this light pink color or a rather flaring other shade of it and she had picked the one that hurt her eyes less.

"Of course," Snow smiled at her, taking her hand for the last few steps, "You trust me don't you, Rosie?"

"You know I do, Snow," Rose told her, squeezing her hand back, "You are my best friend, you would never do anything to hurt me."

Snow positively beamed at that, at how her cousin truly belied it, it meant so much to her to know her cousin felt that way, "As you are mine," she told her, "So trust me when I say this will work. I think what made the other children wary is that you always dress in such dreary colors, this is brighter! It's softer, they'll like you more for it."

"I don't really want people to like me just because of how I dress, Snow," she remarked, "I want them to like ME."

"And they will," she promised, "This is just the first step. They can't get to know you if they're afraid to approach you. Now," she stopped just at the end of the path that would lead outside the walls of the palace and into the village beyond, turning to face the blonde, "Have you practiced what I told you to?" Rose nodded, "Show me."

Rose sighed but fixed a smile on her face.

Snow only barely managed not to wince at the sight, her cousin was grinning far too much like the Cheshire Cat from the stories of Wonderland, it was too wide and forced with too much teeth showing.

"Um, it's…good," she offered, "But try a little softer," Rose just blinked at that, "Try it without separating your lips," she instructed. But it wasn't much better, it somehow managed to look more devious that way.

And that was odd to her, she was sure she'd seen her cousin smile before and thought it lovely, she just had to find THAT smile and she was sure the other children would think Rose warmer than they did. She wouldn't lie to her cousin and say she hadn't heard the whispers that the other children, and even some of the adults, had called her cousin behind her back. She was always sure to throw a glare to those people, make it a point for them to know she'd heard them and was NOT pleased with it. They usually quieted down, kept their words softer and away from Rose's ears…but it didn't mean they'd stopped saying those awful words.

She let out a small breath, before a thought hit her, "I know!" she cheered, making Rose jump and her laugh a bit, "Remember when we were out in the fields, and we were watching the clouds after you set the mice free in the kitchens and we escaped our lessons?" Rose nodded, starting to smile at the memory, "There!" she pointed at Rose's mouth, "Smile just like that and people will love you Rosie."

Rose's smile immediately dropped at that, "Don't call me Rosie, Frosty."

Snow rolled her eyes at that but kept the smile on her own face, "Come on," she turned to lead her cousin on, half skipping as she reached the edge of the village. She gave Rose's hand a squeeze and nudged her cousin with a pointed look till she started skipping with her clumsily. She stopped only when they turned a corner to the market and spotted a few other boys and girls playing a game with little marionette ragdolls, "Hello!" she cheered, hurrying over to the small group, just a handful of the children she usually played with when her cousin was otherwise detained, but that was probably for the best, better to start Rose off slowly after all.

"Princess Snow!" the three girls that had been standing by the two boys quickly curtseyed while the boys bowed to the princess.

"Princess Rose," one of the boys offered hesitantly, the group giving her a more begrudging set of greetings, their eyes never leaving her even as they moved, as though wary of her.

Snow tried not to let that deter her, "May we join you?" she asked with a bright smile.

"Both of you?" a girl in pigtails asked before realizing just how poorly mannered that was, "I mean…"

"Yes," Rose spoke up, glancing at Snow and back to the children, "We…would like to play."

The children seemed skeptical of that, Princess Rose hadn't been one to 'play' with anyone but Snow White in all the time the two girls had been at the palace.

"What were you playing just now?" Snow inquired, not giving the children a chance to try and back out of it.

"We were just finishing, really," a young boy, the youngest of the group, said, "We were going to play Wordings."

Wordings was a game the children were encouraged to play, where the goal was to take one word and, without saying the word, give clues to others enough to guess what that word was. You could use like-words, or descriptions of it, whatever you could think of without outright saying the word in question.

"That sounds…interesting," Rose tried to muster a smile for the children though, given how they glanced at each other, she doubted she'd succeeded in making it soft enough.

"May we join you?" Snow took over once more.

"Of course, Princess," the tallest of the girls gave Snow a smile in return.

Rose glanced at her cousin as the small group of children looked between her and Snow, she could tell just from their looks that they would have rather JUST Snow played with them, but Snow had linked arms with her and didn't seem about to let go in the near future, so they were stuck all together.

~8~

Rose was tired, so tired, no…more like weary. She had absolutely no idea that it took so much out of a person to play a game with other children…and they weren't even DOING anything! They weren't running around or playing a chasing game, they weren't causing a commotion or tossing toys, they were sitting there on a few crates beside a small bakery just talking.

And yet she was exhausted.

She was trying to do everything Snow had told her. She was trying to sit like a delicate princess. She was trying to smile all the time. She was trying to appear interested and invested in the game, in the children around her. She was trying to pay attention and really play the game, to offer the best substitution words she could to keep the game going. She was trying so hard to not groan or roll her eyes or sigh or just leave like she'd wanted to hours ago. It was just…boring, and the laughter of the children was annoying her, though that could have been because the topic of their laughs were all stories they shared with Snow that they were just remembering here and there, stories she had no idea about or had any part in. And the words that they were using, she was trying not to let herself start to see the children as 'inferior,' she knew that she had had better tutoring than many of the village children had, but some of the words were so easy to guess yet no one else had.

She was trying not to guess to quickly and seem like she was 'superior' to the children, but she was trying not to not answer at all, and it was…it was so much work.

She felt like crying, she really did, she just…she wanted it to be over, she didn't want to do this anymore, the more she sat there the more uncomfortable she was getting, the more upset she felt and yet the more she had to hide it.

And Snow, bless her cousin, she was a wonderful friend but she was so invested in the game that she had hardly noticed how her cousin was shifting in discomfort and looking back towards the entrance of the market more and more. Her cousin could be a little oblivious at times, and she had never hated that more than she did right now. She wanted to leave, but to leave mid-game would be rude and wouldn't make the children like her any more than they already didn't, and she needed Snow to help her come up with an excuse to leave. If they left together it wouldn't be so bad…

"Rose?"

She looked back over at the sound of Snow's voice to see her cousin smiling at her expectantly, "Yes?"

"It's your turn," one of the boys huffed…or barely managed to refrain from it as it wouldn't be proper for them to get testy with a princess.

"Oh," Rose nodded, "Um…" she looked around for a word that she could use, something common and nice and simple, like Snow had suggested a while ago…but she was just so tired and her head hurt and her body ached and the dress itched and she just…

"Odorous," she started, rambling words off the top of her head, "Wet. Red. Important. Warm. Draining. Leeches. Pain. Falling. Injuries. Staining. Women. Murder. Death…"

"Rose," Snow cut into her list, her voice firm.

Rose blinked and looked at them, seeing the children staring at her with wide horrified eyes, shaking their heads, disturbed by her words. She saw it then, the looks in their eyes, their eyes that were saying exactly what they wouldn't voice to her face…

'Monster.'

So she got up and ran.

~8~

Snow White knocked gently on her cousin's bedroom door, waiting for Rose to let her in…but no noise came, not even a call from her cousin, so she gently pushed the door open, peeking in around the door, "Rose?" she called, frowning when she saw her baby cousin lying on her large bed, her back to the door, curled up in a ball right on the edge farthest from the door, seeming to be clutching a pillow in her arms. She let out a gentle breath and made her way over, moving to sit on the bed, crossing her legs and looking at Rose's back, "What happened?"

Rose sniffled, making Snow's heart break at the sound, "I'm sorry Snow," she mumbled, "I tried…"

"I know you did," Snow reached out to put a hand on Rose's shoulder, "And it was working. You were doing so well and then…well…and then you weren't…" she rubbed Rose's arm a moment, "What happened?"

"I don't know," Rose admitted quietly, "I just…I was tired and I wanted to leave and I…it was the first thing that came to my mind," she sniffled again, her voice cracking when she spoke again, "What does that say about me that 'blood' was the first thought in my head?"

"Oh Rose," Snow crawled closer, laying down behind her cousin and reaching out to hug her tightly as Rose began to cry, something she knew had to mean her cousin was deeply upset, Rose hardly ever cried like this.

"I am a monster Snow."

"No," Snow shook her head, feeling tears forming in her eyes, "You're not a monster, Rosie, you're my cousin, you're my best friend, my sister, you could never ever be a monster."

"But I am. Mother's a Siren and…"

"And that doesn't mean anything," Snow told her firmly, "Your mother loves your father SO much Rose, she loves you too, she loves me. And you love her, you love your papa, and you love me too, don't you?"

"Of course I do," Rose sniffled.

"Then you're not a monster," Snow determined with a note of finality in her voice, "A monster can't love, all the stories say that, monsters can't love. But YOU do, Rose, you do love, and as long as you can you'll never be a monster."

"You're the only one that thinks so."

Snow sighed at that, knowing that Rose didn't mean the only one at all to think it, but the only one compared to the other children, "They don't know you like I do Rosie. Their opinion doesn't matter at all."

"But it does, doesn't it?" Rose shifted slightly, turning over to face Snow as the girl scuttled back, letting go of her cousin so she could move, "They're going to be our people one day. And they'll think I'm a…"

"Don't say it," Snow cut in, wiggling a little to pull a small handkerchief out of her pocket, reaching out to wipe Rose's face from the tears that had spilled down her cheeks, "They don't know you Rose," she repeated.

"And they never will," Rose sighed, "They won't want to."

"We'll change their minds Rose," Snow promised, "We WILL."

Rose was silent for a long while, looking to the side, more at the corner of her pillow than her cousin, before she finally spoke again, "No, we won't."

"We…"

"No," Rose looked up at her, "I…don't want to," she decided, swallowing hard.

"I don't understand," Snow shook her head, "You said that you wanted them to…"

"I know," Rose sniffled a little, "I want them to like me, Snow, I do…but I want them to like ME. I don't want them to like a…a…mask," she said, for lack of a better word, "I don't want them to like someone I'm pretending to be instead of the REAL me."

Snow searched her eyes for a moment or two, before sighing, "You didn't like my plan," she realized.

"I appreciated it," Rose reached out to touch Snow's hand, making her smile, "I appreciate how much you care for me Snow, that you want to help me. But I don't think dressing in pink and smiling and playing games is going to help me in the end," she sighed herself, "I…didn't like it. It wasn't me. Pink isn't me, smiling all the time isn't me, picking words like 'bunny' and 'dollie' isn't me," she tried to manage a small smile, "I think you see that whenever we cloud watch."

Snow gave a small laugh at that, "I do," she agreed, "I just thought…" she shrugged, "I thought that maybe if they saw the softer side of you, they'd like you more."

"That's just it, Snow…I…I don't…" she swallowed hard, "I don't think there is a softer side to me."

"Rose…"

"I think it's…it's fading away," Rose admitted in a quiet whisper, "Every day I feel…harder?" she couldn't think of a better word, "Every day, I look in the mirror and I see more of mother in me than father. I…I feel softer around you, around uncle Leopold, around my parents, but…that's it," she shrugged slightly, tears in her eyes again, "I'm just…I'm scared Snow," she said, finally getting to the point of everything.

She had gone to her cousin for help in being accepted by the children, because she had seen how her father and uncle ruled their kingdoms, with kindness, a firm hand, but a gentle heart, a softness for their subjects, and they were loved by the people. She had started to realize that she was pulling away from the other children, from everyone outside her family, more and more as time went on. She knew it was her mother's half in her, but it scared her.

Because some things that used to make her smile, didn't anymore. Things that others said that had hurt her, didn't faze her any longer. Things she used to care about…didn't seem as important.

And it scared her, badly, the…the apathy that was starting to settle in her heart and mind. If it was starting now, while she was still more a child than an adult, what would she be like as an adult? What would she be like as a Queen?

What would she be like as a cousin?

"I don't want to become hard to YOU," she told Snow.

That was what terrified her more than anything, what if she grew older and the most important thing in her life, her family, were suddenly people she hardly cared about? What if she cast her cousin aside? What if she…what if they became enemies because of HER?

She didn't think she could survive losing Snow like that.

"You never ever will Rosie," Snow whispered, scooting closer to hug her cousin once more as Rose started to whimper, holding her tight as she let her cousin cry on her, knowing she needed this, needed this reassurance, "You are my sister, you are my family, and I will never ever let your heart harden that much. Ever."

"You can't stop it though Snow," Rose told her, "Mother said…"

"I don't care," Snow shook her head, cutting in, "Your mother is a full-blooded Siren Rose, YOU are half," she pulled away to look her cousin in the eyes, "You're only half, which means your heart will only harden half as much."

"But…"

"No," Snow said firmly, "No, I'm right about this Rose, and even if I'm wrong, family is important to Sirens, right? They're the…the MOST important thing, yes?" Rose slowly nodded at that, "Then you will never ever become hard to me, so long as we're family, you'll always be a big old softie around me."

Rose gave a small, sniffling laugh at that. She couldn't picture herself ever being a 'big old softie' but it was…it was a comfort to hear. Though her tiny smile fell slightly, "What if I'm more like my mother than my father? What if I DO end up more like a Siren? What if…what if because I'm half it means my heart can become harder than even mother's?" she had seen how terribly some full-blooded humans could treat each other, the true hurts they could inflict, what if the combination of human and Siren in her was what made her a real monster, "What if I become too...dark?"

"I won't care," Snow promised her, "You will always be my cousin, Rose, always. No matter what you do or what you become, how dark you might be, that will never change. Never."

"Thank you Snow," Rose breathed, starting to smile again, "Thank you for accepting me as I am."

"There's no other way to accept someone," Snow shrugged, speaking simply, "You can't accept only part of someone, not if you love them, if you love them you accept everything about them," she gave leaned in more, hugging Rose again, the two of them just laying there, "And one day, Rose, one day you'll find even more people to accept you for exactly who you are," she giggled a bit, "Maybe even a prince," Rose crinkled her nose at the thought of some prissy prince falling in love with her, making Snow laugh, "One day people will see you for who you really are, and they'll love you as much as I do. I promise."

Rose snuggled into her cousin's arms a little more, a smile coming to her face. She…hoped so, she hoped that it would happen just as Snow said, that one day she would be accepted for who and what she was.

But…until that day came…her cousin was enough.

A/N: I really wanted this chapter to be the first flashback, I really wanted to show that Piper didn't always feel comfortable with what she does and what she is and what her name inspires. As a child she didn't want to be feared, it wasn't till she was older, till she experienced just how harsh the world could be in the Enchanted Forest, that she started to realize what Regina had, fear can be an effective tool :(

I'm glad you guys are excited for the story! I really cannot wait to get through it :)

Some notes on reviews...

Ooh things will be quite different in this story, especially because Piper is with Gold in this one and fully aware of and on the same page with him in terms of the Dagger and freeing him. But we'll have to wait and see how the 'banishment' might come about or what might happen with the Queens of Darkness }:)

Piper will have some issues with the Queens of Darkness, but it'll depend on if she's on their side or not come their entrance to the story }:)

For this story I plan to update daily though I'm not 100% sure what time I'll be updating just yet. I originally updated at 6:30 Eastern Standard Time because that was when I was waking up for my job and leaving the house, but as I'm currently unemployed, I may make the time more around 8 or 9 in the morning instead, but I'm not entirely sure just yet :) I am determined to have it be daily though ;)

Lol, I think it was a little bit to annoy Marian her holding Neal, sort of like 'go ahead and scream about monsters, but your Queen Snow trusts ME with her child, what are you gonna do about it? Yell some more?'

That is a very interesting theory! I can see that being a very key one with Belle, I agree :) I have a sort of backstory for the Dagger and the Darkness in this story planned out, but I think you're theory is really something that belongs in the actual show it's awesome ;) There have definitely been a lot of things in Season 4 that made me question how the writers let things happen or if they let others put in ideas or critiques. Like, the whole Zelena and Robin thing, the writers are STILL defending that it isn't rape, when it very, VERY much is and I'm just like…are they actually saying they fully believe what they had Zelena do wasn't rape? Or did they write themselves into such a bad hole without realizing that what they were having portrayed was really rape and are now defending it because they really don't want to admit they went that route? :/ There are also some things, like the never ending stream of parallels, that I think they need to really tone down on at times, or other things (like swapping Regina's and Snow's story in the finale) that should have been original and not just a swap that I wonder if they let anyone have a say in before filming :/ Overall Season 4 wasn't my favorite and a lot of things that happened near the end really made me question whether I want to watch Season 5, but I'm going to try and do what I ask readers to do when I put in a heartbreaking twist, to trust the writers and hope they have a trick up their sleeves :)

I agree, Emma's apologies to Regina felt a little empty to me too :/ To me, you can't really and truly apologize unless you regret what you did and would never ever do it again because it hurt someone. Emma's implied that she would do it all over again and make the same choice, so she can't really apologize when she would just do it again :( Piper and Elsa will have a few talks about being Monsters yup ;) And that's true, if Piper takes out Marian it would save her family a lot of danger, unfortunately, she's not aware of just how much a threat she is at the moment :(

I'm glad you're excited :) Lol, that sounds like a very cool OC ;) I think, the moment with Gold, is more his emotions really getting to him during a very devastating time :( It's like, for all the bravado around others and a genuine feeling of being ok being the 'monsters' of the stories in a larger sense, there's always a moment here or there, when the consequences of being a 'monster' are just so powerful and devastating, that they feel a brief moment of not wanting to be one because being one in the first place was what caused events that led to them being so pained :( Similar to that moment of doubt that heroes feel about whether or not they're doing the right thing or if they've turned into villains. In that moment, he felt he was a monster, and that being one had taken his son from him. But it passes and he's left with the feeling of being a monster is what gave him the chance to FIND his son and avenge him and that being a monster isn't always a bad thing. Piper was silent, a lot because of this flashback and other lingering things to come. She knows what it's like to have someone constantly tell you you're not something that you are, whether you're ok with what you are or not. She let him have his 'moment of pity' but if it had lasted longer, she would have talked him through it ;) Oh I have a twist for Robin too though we won't see an actual flashback from it. I took the episode where Robin first meets the Dark One as being before Snowing met (as Roland would have just been born when Snowing happened), and Piper was only there with Rumpelstiltskin a short time when Robin first broke in and Marian was pregnant so she likely wasn't there when Robin first met the Dark One ;) But I do have an explanation for the blonde Robin that we'll see later :) As for the cane, if Piper's there, she might take the place of his support instead of him needing to use a cane :)

Aww thank you! I'm very much hugging back ;)

I'm so sorry about your friend :'( I offer my deepest and most sincere condolences to you and their family :'(


	3. White Out

White Out

Piper felt a small smile creep its way onto her face as she sat beside Henry in Mary Margaret's apartment, watching her cousin as she bopped with Neal cooing in her arms. David was speaking with Emma off to the side while Henry sat with a small laptop on his lap. The 'Once Upon a Time' book was lying open on her lap as she had been skimming through it. Henry had been all too pleased to be able to crack the book open and talk to her about some of the stories, especially about HER stories, many of which she had tried to steer him away from at times. The things she had done in her past were…gruesome at times, they weren't anything a young boy needed to concern himself with and she doubted it was anything that her cousin, David, or Emma would want to hear her tell tales about. She didn't regret the things she'd done, but that didn't mean she would go into details of them in graphic detail. Henry's attention had, thankfully, shifted to the laptop after a short while, leaving her to skim through the book on her own.

She was hoping to try and find something in it that might help her and Gold with their own endeavors, some sort of story of the past Dark Ones that might help the current Dark One. Gold had explained that the hat they'd found was something he had been looking for for quite some time, something that a prior Dark One had first thought to use to free himself from the Dagger's control but just hadn't quite managed it. But there were some details that he was lacking and needed to know before they could advance his plans to free himself. Which was why she was reading through the book. It had been her experience that, as villains tended to keep their cards close to their chest, heroes often did the same. It was doubtful that the answers that Gold sought would be in the library or in any of his spellbooks, He had been attempting to separate himself from the Dagger for quite a while, so it stood to reason that, if he found nothing among the darkness, perhaps there was something to be found among the light. Perhaps there might be some hidden hint in the book, some warning for the heroes of how they could keep the Dark One on his leash.

The smile fell when she glanced at the book, to the page she'd turned to, and felt her heart thud painfully to see the story of Pinocchio staring back at her. She swallowed hard and quickly turned a handful of pages to avoid the story all together.

"Here you go, sweetheart," Piper looked up once more to see Mary Margaret bringing Neal over to his little crib, "I'll see you in three hours for your midnight shrieking. Yes, I will. Ohh, sweet dreams," she pressed a kiss to his forehead.

Henry too had looked up at that, tilting his head as he observed his uncle, "What do you suppose babies dream about?"

"Bullfighting," David answered promptly.

"Laser tag," Emma added, making Piper shake her head at them…while also questioning if they were being serious. She doubted Emma was, but well…David wasn't quite the brightest royal she'd ever come across.

"That's not true!" Mary Margaret cried, almost sounding shocked that they would think that was what her son dreamed of.

"I think they're joking," Henry laughed.

Mary Margaret blinked before she sighed, seeming to realize that, "Right," she nodded, moving over to the couch and letting herself fall right in between Piper and Henry though the boy got up a moment later, "I'll recognize funny again when he's 3 and I've had some sleep," she yawned widely and turned, just resting her head on Piper's shoulder, truly so ready to fall asleep.

And it wasn't like it was an unfamiliar position for them, she couldn't begin to count how many times she'd drifted off on her cousin's shoulder during a truly boring lesson or a negotiation that was dragging on. And Piper didn't seem to mind, merely closing the book and shifting to give her cousin more of a cushioned pillow of her shoulder than the boney one she was likely to have at that angle.

"3?" David scoffed, teasing, "I see the optimism returning."

"You know I can look after my nephew Snow," Piper remarked, letting her head fall to the side and rest on the top of Mary Margaret's head, "I have had my fair share of looking after young boys in my time. August…" she paused, taking a breath but knowing she needed to be able to talk about him, "He may not have been a baby when he came to me but I should imagine it would not be much harder."

Mary Margaret snorted at that, "Trust me, Rose, you have no idea just how hard it is till you have a baby screaming at 4 in the morning."

"I…hope to find out," Piper offered quietly.

Mary Margaret nodded absently on her cousin's shoulder…before her words caught up to her and she jolted awake and up, her eyes wide as she looked at Piper, "Are you…"

"Trying," Piper confirmed, "Not…quiet yet there though."

The look on Mary Margaret's face was like a child seeing all the gifts under the Christmas tree she was smiling so widely, her hands flying to her mouth as tears came to her eyes.

"Do not make a big thing of this Snow," Piper almost regretted mentioning even that little detail, she know how over-excitable Snow White could get.

"Not a big thing?!" Mary Margaret shook her head, "My children finally having cousins is not a big thing?! Rosie…"

"Frosty," Piper cut in with a mock-narrow look for the name.

"This is…enormous!" she leaned in to hug her cousin tightly, "You're going to have a baby!"

"One day," Piper reminded her, "One day, Snow, not tomorrow. I am not yet with child, I am merely trying."

"And even that is huge," she pulled away, beaming, "You need to let me know the second you find out that you are. There's SO much I have to plan and I'll need time to do it."

"Plan?" Piper asked slowly, really starting to regret having mentioned it now.

"Well the baby shower and shopping for things for the nursery and we'd have to get you on vitamins and the sonograms and…"

"Calm down Snow," Piper laughed a bit at how her cousin was getting lost in the future, "We shall take it step by step should I fall pregnant. Until then, do not excite yourself more or you shall end up with even less sleep than you are already getting."

THAT seemed to shock Mary Margaret back to the present and her current exhaustion as she sunk back on the couch, "You had to remind me," she grumbled, making Piper smile.

"Any time you may find need, Snow, I AM there," Piper reminded her, putting a hand on hers.

"I may take you up on that," Mary Margaret yawned…though Piper's smile tensed slightly, hearing something…off in Mary Margaret's words.

If she didn't know any better…she might have thought her cousin had just lied to her.

"Ok," they heard Emma speak from behind them and looked over to see Henry was packing some sort of bag, "Chocolate, DVDs, ice cream…red wine? That's one heck of a late-night snack, kid."

"It's for my mom," Henry shrugged.

"I don't drink and sheriff."

"And you are not his only mother, Emma," Piper reminded her, almost laughing at herself for her words.

They were quite different than what she would have said at the beginning of all of this, when she'd first gotten to Storybrooke. She would have been standing in between Regina and Henry to keep the boy away from the Evil Queen but…things…changed. Slowly, but they were changing. She didn't know what it was, perhaps it was seeing her cousin forgive Regina, seeing Emma and Henry do the same, perhaps it was her own revenge against the woman being satisfied, or their shared experience of being around their children and having them not remember them. Whatever it was, she was…starting to understand the position and role that Regina had in Henry's life more and more every day.

"I googled 'how to get over a breakup,'" Henry told them, seeing the others looking over at him too, "It didn't talk about your boyfriend's wife time-traveling back from the past, but close enough."

"Perhaps you should have googled 'dead wife' instead," Piper offered, though she made no other comment about Emma's adventure in the past. She had realized quite quickly that Emma wouldn't listen to her or believe her when she said that the alterations to the past could have deadly consequences. She was her parents' child, she chose to live in hope, whereas SHE dealt in reality. Emma would get defensive before too long and start to push back and argue and try to prove her wrong about Marian if she wasn't careful, if she pushed Emma too much. So, for now, she would keep most of her thoughts on the subject to herself.

And, if Magic truly proved the consequences of changing the past to Emma, perhaps a thinly veiled 'I told you so' would not be too much to give in the middle of helping Emma scramble to fix her mistake.

Emma rolled her eyes at that reminder, choosing not to respond to Piper and instead focus on her son and his efforts, "That's really sweet."

Henry smiled, about to say something, when a thumping and cawing sounded behind them near the window, a small black bird had landed just outside and was tapping on the glass. David quickly made his way over, lifting the window as Mary Margaret joined him, reaching out a finger to take the bird inside, pulling a small parchment off its leg before it flew away.

Mary Margaret frowned and opened the note, "It's a message," she murmured, her eyes widening as she skimmed it, her expression falling as she looked up, "It's for Henry. It's from your mother."

Henry reached out to take it, his expression growing more sorrowful as he read through it, "She doesn't want to see me," he told them, before turning and walking out of the room, dropping the note behind him, actually leaving the apartment fully.

Piper let out a long breath at that, of all the things to do, sending a message via bird instead of a phone call? Sometimes, for as much as she was starting to try and understand Regina, the woman made no sense to her at all.

"Is that really what she said?" David looked to his wife as Emma picked up the fallen paper.

"No," Emma shook her head, "She said for the moment."

"And in the mind of a child, a moment or a second can last an eternity," Piper mused, thinking of times when she would have to leave August in their apartment for an hour or so, mostly when she was following a lead or checking something, meeting with an adoption agency in hopes of finding Emma, and he would always run to her and hug her tightly when she got back. The concept of time was often lost on a child, no matter how old they were, when their parent left them time meant nothing.

"I'm gonna go talk to him," Emma decided.

"May I join you?" Piper asked, "I have experience with young boys," she offered, getting a nod from Emma as the two of them headed out after the boy.

~8~

Piper followed Emma into Granny's, the woman behind the counter having called Emma to let her now Henry had shown up alone, to see the boy sitting with his chin on the counter, frowning at nothing.

Emma glanced at Piper a moment before walking over to Henry and sitting down on his right, Piper moving to his left, "You know," she began, "That is not exactly what she said. I read the note. She said for right now, while she's dealing with things."

"She doesn't want to see me," Henry repeated.

"She's in a lot of pain over Robin Hood and everything else that's happened over the last…well, forever," Emma winced, thinking about just what Regina had been through in her life, it was…more than anyone should have to endure, even she could admit that, "Things have been tough on her and you. She's trying to fix them so that you two can be together. Because she cares about you."

"So why'd she tell me to stay away?"

"Because she thinks she's making things better."

"She's not," Henry determined.

Emma opened her mouth to agree with his statement, when a loud rumbling sounded outside the diner a moment before the lights went out, leaving them in darkness, "What the hell?" she nearly jumped when her police radio on her belt staticed to life.

"Emma," David's voice called, "I…I'm getting calls from all over. It's a town-wide blackout."

"Yeah, copy that. I'm looking at it."

"I'll swing by to get you. We can check this out."

Emma nodded, putting the radio back on her belt, and glancing at Henry, "Hey, kid. You want to come along on this one? We can call it operation Nightshade or, uh, blackthorn or…"

But Henry shook his head, "That's ok."

"You go, Emma," Piper offered, putting a hand on Henry's shoulder, "I shall accompany Henry back to Snow's apartment."

"Thanks," Emma nodded at her, giving Henry a quick hug before hurrying out of the diner.

"Come on," Piper nudged Henry on, the two of them stepping out onto the street and heading off for the apartments. They were silent for a short while, mostly till they had reached the end of the block and turned, before she spoke again, "It is not that she does not wish to see you, Henry, it is that she does not wish for YOU to see her in such a state."

"But I'm her son!" Henry frowned.

"And that is just the point," Piper told him, "She is your mother, she is meant to protect you," she smiled fondly at him, "As much as it kills me to admit," she added, though her voice had taken a slightly teasing note to it, "She raised you into a fine young man, Henry. And she knows, as well as any of us do, that if you see her hurting, you will try to help her, protect her. That is not something a child is meant to do, adults are meant to protect you, not the other way around. She is trying to make it easier on you to not see her so upset. She does not wish to hurt you in seeing her hurting."

Henry looked down at that, it was wrong, the entire thing, and not just the part about his mother not wanting to see him…but to think that he'd never seen her hurting before. HE had hurt her, many times, calling her the Evil Queen, calling Emma his real mother, HE had hurt her, he'd seen the hurt in her eyes and shoved it aside. This was his chance to make amends, to be there for her and support her when he should have before and failed to do it.

"Often times…often times we do not wish for those we love to see us as anything less than what we are," Piper added, more in thought.

Henry frowned at that, "What's that mean?"

Piper looked up at him, "She is the Queen, is she not? Do you think she would wish anyone, even you, to see her vulnerable? It is…a dangerous place for a queen, for a villain, to be."

Often it was something a villain never allowed themselves to be, not where prying eyes were concerned. And, even though she knew Henry was a far better secret-keeper than Snow White had ever been, he was still a child and if the right person asked him the right question in the right way, he might tell someone something that would put Regina in danger, or give others ammunition against her. It was one reason she and Gold never allowed themselves, or tried not to allow themselves, to be seen as weak or questioning themselves around others. Even the smallest doubt, the smallest advantage to someone else could mean a threat to them.

"Then why do villains fall in love?" Henry shook his head, "Wouldn't that be a weakness to them? Like…if the person they loved got taken, that would hurt them, it would control them and…"

"And give them a reason to fight as well," Piper cut in, "Love is…complicated Henry. Some believe, like Cora, that it is a weakness to feel love. Others believe it can be empowering. Though…" she sighed, "I do suppose you are right, for both villains and heroes, at times those we love are used as bait or leverage by others to get what they want."

"That's why you never told Snow White you were alive," Henry remarked, "I remember that from reading your story."

"That was a part of it, yes, a large part, but…there were many reasons I kept my silence about my survival, Henry."

"Like what?" he couldn't imagine why she wouldn't have told Snow White she was alive beyond that.

"As we agreed, our enemies will use those we care for as bait," she remarked, "If Regina had found out I was alive, that I was Snow White's cousin, she would have used me to lure Snow out, made her surrender. I do not doubt my cousin would be foolish enough to trade her whole kingdom for my life with the belief she could win it back later. And…"

"And?" Henry shook his head when she cut off.

"I was…frightened."

"You?" Henry gaped at her, 'frightened' and 'Piper' were not two words he'd ever thought he'd hear unless it was someone being afraid OF her, not that SHE was afraid of something.

"Contrary to what is likely popular belief, Henry, I _do_ feel fear, and I do fear many things," water, fire, her family's life, Sirens, losing her true love, so many things.

"But what could you have been afraid of back in the Enchanted Forest? I thought the Dark One was protecting you, that was your deal…"

"He was to protect me from the Evil Queen, not what I was truly afraid of."

"Can I ask what it was?" he hesitated to say that, not sure if it was too private, but Piper had always given him the impression that he could talk to her about anything, ask her anything, and she'd be truthful with him.

"Snow."

"You were afraid of Snow White?" that didn't make sense, she loved her cousin!

"I was afraid of her reaction to me," Piper sighed, "I was afraid of what she would think of me. I was afraid of how she would look at me when she discovered I was the Pied Piper, when she remembered everything the Piper had been said to do, when she learned it was all truth. My cousin, Henry, was one of the few people left alive that accepted me for everything I was, both human and Siren alike. If I…if she turned away from me, if she saw me as…as nothing but a monster…I did not wish to confront that. And I took the coward's way out and kept myself from her."

Henry nodded at that, the two of them lapsing into silence for so long that he only realized it had happened when they turned a corner and reached the apartment building, "I don't think she would have," he offered, "Snow White. I don't think she would have turned her back on you. She really loves you, Aunt P, just like I do and I always will."

Piper smiled softly at him for that, "Many thanks, Henry. That means more to me than you know."

Henry beamed at that, looking both ways before he jogged across the street to the apartments and let himself in. Piper stood there a moment longer, taking a deep breath and shaking her head at the boy, he was truly of Snow White's family, wasn't he? She would expect nothing less of him.

She didn't bother to look, crossing the street and entering the building as well…and nearly running right into Henry as he stood in the main foyer, Mary Margaret, Grumpy, Happy, and Granny standing there together, Neal cradled in his mother's arms.

"Snow?" Piper walked over to them, resting her hands on Henry's shoulders, "Is all well?"

"Rose," Mary Margaret breathed a sigh of relief, "Do you know anything about power outages or energy grids?"

"Not a thing.

Mary Margaret's expression fell, glancing at the trio of adults before hurrying to her cousin's side and whispering, "They want me to fix this and get the power back on because, apparently, my curse, my town, and now I'm the mayor."

Piper blinked at that, "I wish you well then, Madame Mayor."

"Rose!" Mary Margaret huffed even as Piper smirked at her, "Help," she half begged.

"I do not know how much help I can be, Snow, I have as much knowledge as you in this."

"Oh gee," Henry suddenly said, yawning comically, "It's…it's way past my bedtime, better hit the hay!"

The two women stared as Henry ran off for the stairs up to Mary Margaret's apartment, clearly the boy had thought they would drag him along.

"Rose?" Mary Margaret turned back to her, "Please?"

Piper sighed, she had wanted to go back to Gold's shop, let him know that she hadn't found anything in the book just yet, but it…it shouldn't take THAT long to get the power back, should it?

"Very well," she murmured, making Mary Margaret beam.

~8~

Piper had been correct in her remark to Mary Margaret that she wouldn't be of much help in fixing the generator. Despite her travels with August around the world…she hadn't learned how to read Japanese, which would have been useful as the instructions manual for the electrical grid controls.

Then again, it also would have been useful if Grumpy, Happy, and Granny had left them well enough alone to try and puzzle it out themselves, their running commentary was starting to give her a migraine.

"Is she fixing it?" Happy whispered to the other two while Mary Margaret and Piper stood by the controls, trying to match the pictures in the manual to the box before them.

"I've got a fridge full of iffy clams," Granny huffed, "Just find the right part of the manual!"

"The manual's in Japanese," Grumpy at least had the decency to remind them of that.

"Well, just do something!"

"Maybe Marco should be helping with the power?" Happy suggested, "He _is_ the handyman."

"Gepetto?" Grumpy scoffed, "You think? I mean, I'm not sure handcrafted tuscan wood carvings are really gonna save the day."

"Dr. Whale!" Granny offered.

"He's a _doctor_ , not electrician."

Piper had to consider that a moment, Whale WAS Frankenstein as far as she knew, he had ample experience with electricity…

Mary Margaret, however, didn't seem to be of the same opinion as she rounded on the trio behind them, snapping out, "We don't need help!"

"You think?" Grumpy shot back, "I mean, I'm grumpy now. Imagine me in the morning without a coffee maker."

"Or a computer," Happy agreed, "Or stop lights, TV, DVD, CD, DVR, DVD."

"Stop saying letters!" Mary Margaret nearly screamed, making Piper stop in her page turning to look at her cousin with wide eyes, it was not often at all that Snow White shouted like that, "Look, I am _not_ magic. I have had _eight hours_ of sleep in the last _week_ , I am breastfeeding, and I am exhausted! I don't need this! I may have cast a little curse, but I did not ask to maintain a metropolitan electrical grid! Oh, and get this, I'm starting to get why Regina was evil. It wasn't her! It was _you_! You have survived your _entire lives_ without light bulbs! Buy a flashlight!"

The trio stared at Mary Margaret in silence for a long moment before bowing their heads and leaving the room without another word.

Piper snapped the manual shut, a small smirk on her face as she stepped over to her cousin's side, resting a hand on her shoulder, "Well, that was quite a regal response."

Mary Margaret groaned loudly and rubbed her head, "I'm sorry."

"Oh please, do NOT apologize for that," Piper chuckled slightly, "It was quite entertaining to witness."

"Rose," Mary Margaret sighed, giving her a look.

"Do you want me to stay here, Snow, work this out while you return home and sleep? I highly doubt Henry has really gone to bed, I am certain he would enjoy playing with his uncle for a time while you napped."

"No," Mary Margaret muttered, "No, no. They're right, it's my curse, it's my responsibility to keep everything running now."

"If it is agreeable," Piper began, "Perhaps Rummy could help?" Mary Margaret looked at her for that, "You mentioned not being magic, I am sure he could get this running properly in moments. I need only go to his shop and fetch him," in Mary Margaret's rush to calm the others both women had left their mobile phones behind.

"Would you?" Mary Margaret smiled at that, her shoulders sagging in relief, "I can try to work it out while you're gone, but if he could stop by and help…"

"Of course," Piper nodded, knowing that Gold would likely want the power on as much as anyone else for his shop and home. She glanced over at Neal currently sleeping in a small carrying cot, "Do you wish me to bring Neal with me?" she inquired, "Give you some peace or…"

"No," Mary Margaret said quickly, "No it's fine," she smiled, though Piper frowned at seeing a small force behind it, "I don't…he's sleeping now, he'll be fine."

"Right," Piper nodded slowly, "If you should ever require my services as babysitter in the future though, Snow, please feel free, I would like to spend time with my nephew too."

"I know," Mary Margaret nodded as well, her smile becoming more thoughtfully sad than forced, "I know you do Rose. And…maybe one day you will. I just…" she glanced at her son, "I'm not ready to share him just yet."

Piper squeezed Mary Margaret's shoulder before stepping past her and heading for the doors, unable to shake the feeling that her cousin wasn't telling her everything about her hesitations.

~8~

It seemed almost like the fates were against Storybrooke getting their power back as, not a minute after Piper stepped into Gold's shop and greeted him, the doors were being thrown open by a frantic David and Hook running in.

"Oh thank god," David breathed when he saw Piper standing there, knowing that what he needed Gold's help in would more likely happen with her around, especially as it related to Emma, "There's an emergency," he got right to it, "Emma's trapped under ice by a woman with some kind of ice magic."

"What?!" Piper demanded, feeling her Siren side clawing to the surface at the threat to her niece. She swallowed hard, trying to rein it in if just a bit, the last time she'd let that half of her get too much control, Baelfire had paid the consequences for it and she was not going to let that happen to her family again, "What happened?!"

"We don't know," David sighed, "We were investigating the power lines and came to an ice wall around the town, Emma went into a crevice in it and found a woman hiding there. She seemed spooked by us and, before we could react, more ice was shooting up and Emma was trapped."

"Then why are you here instead of breaking down the wall?"

"Don't you think we tried that!?" Hook snapped, "It's magic, which is why we need the bloody Dark One," he turned a glare on Gold, "Do something!"

Gold's expression grew grim, "I could melt the ice and destroy it with a thought," he agreed, looking to Piper as he continued, "But that would also destroy those within the ice. And if it is created by magic," he turned to David, "There's likely magic keeping people from transporting themselves inside it as well."

David let out a hard breath at that, as much as he hated Gold and thought him a downright liar, he knew enough of the man and how he was around Piper to know that he wouldn't lie about something that could save Emma, especially not after his son died, but that also meant their chance at quickly saving Emma had disappeared, time for plan b, "The woman who has Emma trapped is in there with her and she's looking for her sister, name of Anna. She thinks she's in town because of something of hers she found in your shop, a necklace."

"There are many pieces of jewelry here, Charming, be more specific!" Piper gave him a hard look.

"She HAS the necklace," David tried to speed up the process of finding out who the girl might be from her necklace. All of Gold's objects came with addresses, didn't they?

"Then it would be missing," Piper nodded, "Rummy?"

Gold eyed the glass case just under his hand, quickly taking mental inventory of what's there, before tapping the glass where a particular necklace was missing. He turned and pulled a small file out of a draw, fishing through it for a piece of paper with the necklace on it, "This is it," he turned and held it up to the others to see, but there was no other information about the necklace on it, no address, nothing…

Till David got a good look at it, quickly snatching the card from Gold's hand, "I know this," he murmured, "I know exactly who Anna is!"

"Do you know WHERE she is?" Piper asked the more important question.

"No," David sighed, looking at her, "But I know someone who does," he turned and hurried out of the shop, Hook right behind him.

Piper turned to Gold, "Go," he said before she could even open her mouth to say she had to go after them.

She smiled at his understanding, that he knew she didn't trust Hook with Emma, that the fact that both men had allowed Emma to get trapped in the first place, maybe even caused it, leaving her feeling that they wouldn't be able to help Emma just themselves. She leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to his lips before running out of the shop, her mission from Mary Margaret completely forgotten in the plight her niece was facing. She was quite sure that Mary Margaret would rather her daughter safe and alive than the power returned to the town anyway.

She ran out the door and looked up and down the street for an indication of where David and Hook had got to, internally cursing that she'd turned to Gold instead of watched to see where the men were going. It had to be close if they'd disappeared that quickly.

"There you are!" she gasped, seeing the door to the butcher's just across the street and down to the left open, Hook standing in the doorway with some sort of staff in one hand and a radio in the other. She took off towards it, reaching the doorway just as David called out for Hook from within.

"It's that woman, Elsa," Hook held up the radio, "She said Emma's passed out. She's freezing to death."

"Well then MOVE!" Piper reached out to grab the staff from Hook...only to blink as she realized it was a shepherd's crook. She didn't have the slightest idea how it could help them find this Anna woman, but there was little time to think of that as David turned and led them to his truck, the three of them cramming in to go help Emma.

~8~

Piper was out of the truck almost before it stopped moving just feet from the ice wall at the edge of town though she left the shepherd's crook behind in the car as it wouldn't be useful now in finding Anna when it was EMMA they were working to save at the moment.

"Emma!" she called, cupping her hands around her mouth.

"Don't you think we tried that?" Hook snapped at her as David caught up to them, the radio in his hand.

"Elsa?" David called frantically into it, "Elsa? How's Emma?"

There was static a moment before a woman replied, "She's freezing, turning blue."

"No," Hook breathed, rushing to the wall and starting to hack at it with his hook, though it did next to nothing, "Emma!"

"I doubt something as small as a hook will help against a magic wall," Piper shot him a glare. She was…slightly impressed with how visceral his reaction to the threat of Emma's safety was, but a part of her still couldn't let go of the fact that, from what David had implied, the two men had done something to trigger Emma getting trapped, so it was partially Hook's fault then.

"Elsa!" David spoke into the radio, "Listen to me. I need you to find a way out."

"I need Anna!" the woman, Elsa, insisted.

"We do not have her right now," Piper leaned over to grab the radio, "And so help me if you do not release my niece, I will…"

"Not helping!" David hissed at her, yanking the radio back, "Elsa, I'm sorry, we have a way to find Anna, and we will, but right now you're gonna have to do this on your own."

"I can't control this," Elsa admitted over the radio.

"I know how you feel. You're trapped. It's a battle you can't win, but it's exactly the kind of battle you have to fight, or you'll die."

"No, I won't. I'll survive. But Emma…"

David jerked away as Piper instinctively moved to grab the radio, about to truly threaten Elsa, trying to keep the woman from making it worse, "Survival isn't enough," he tried to get through to Elsa, "You have to _live_."

"…where did you hear that?"

"You know where."

"Anna?" Elsa gasped, "You knew her?"

"Yeah, I did. She helped me once, a long time ago, become who I am. She saved my life and yours, and now I need you to save Emma's. I didn't know much about Anna, but she wouldn't want you to live alone in an ice cave, which is where you'll be if you don't melt that ice. Now do it!"

The static on the radio crackled for a moment more before it went silent.

Piper glared at David for not letting her have a word in with this Elsa woman, but she bit down her biting retorts, looking at the wall, and shaking her head, "Maybe I can help," she considered, quickly pulling her pipe from her boot, "I can use my music to gather my energy and magic into a blast, if Elsa weakens the wall enough from within, I may be able to break through."

"Do it," David agreed, trusting that Piper wouldn't have suggested it if it was at all a danger to Emma to do.

Piper nodded, bringing the pipe to her lips, "Best cover your ears," was all the warning she gave as she began to play a quick tune, the notes getting louder and longer as she went, the pipe starting to glow in her hands, increasing in brightness as she held a particular note…before flinging the pipe at the wall, sending the light from it crashing into the wall, breaking off a small part of it enough for a gust of magic from within to flush out.

"It's working!" Hook shouted.

Piper brought the pipe up once more, repeating the process, hacking at the wall from one side as Elsa weakened it from within. One more blast and…

"I can see her!" Hook cheered as a larger hole was created, enough to climb through, "Emma!"

Piper gasped, swaying, a hand to her head, as she tried to get her balance enough to help, but the blasts had taken a lot of her energy and the world was spinning a little more than it should have been. But she could see Emma, she could see a blonde woman with her hair in a braid along the side of her neck in a blue, sparkling gown, helping pass Emma through the hole that they'd made.

"Emma!" Hook reached inside and gently pulled Emma out.

"Let's get her home, warmed up," David said as Emma got standing, Hook hugging her tightly. He glanced over at Piper who had her hand braced against an ice stalagmite, panting, "You ok?"

She nodded, waving them off, just so relieved Emma was alright even if she was deathly pale and her lips were blue, she was still alive.

David turned back to Elsa as she fully climbed through, "You did it. You saved her."

"Yes, I did," Elsa agreed, "But I also endangered her. You owe me nothing."

"Good," Piper swallowed, "Because you shall have no thanks from me."

"Rose," David gave her a look, though he winced as she turned a deadly glare on him, "Piper," he amended, it had felt odd anyway to call her Rose instead of Piper, she wasn't Rose to him, she was and would always be the Pied Piper in his mind, related to his wife or not, "Don't."

"I was not about to do anything, Shepherd," Piper very nearly sneered, before turning her gaze on Elsa, "Merely give a warning."

"Whatever 'warning' it is," David continued to push, "She doesn't need it. I think she knows what she did was wrong."

"I do," Elsa nodded.

"But if it happens again…" Piper began.

"It won't," Elsa promised.

"If it does," Piper repeated, a firm note in her voice telling them NOT to interrupt her again or try to silence her, "You will not have to worry about finding your sister."

Elsa frowned, "Why?"

"Because I will hunt her down and I will kill her if you are the cause of any more danger to my family," she held Elsa's gaze, "Is that understood?"

Elsa swallowed hard, wanting to lash out, wanting to shout and argue and throw an ice blast at her..but Emma whimpered where Hook was helping her walk off and she was reminded that SHE had been the one to endanger someone's family first, "Understood," was all she could say in a weak whisper.

Piper gave her one more nod, before turning to walk back to the truck and leave David to speak to Elsa more, doing her best not to let anyone see how tiring it was to her to walk even those few feet. She was exhausted, utterly spent…but Emma as safe, and that was all that mattered.

She swallowed as she glanced back at Elsa, watching her speaking with David, and then over to Emma as well, a frown coming to her face. She hoped, prayed really, that what had just happened was not a result of Magic trying to right the imbalance of Emma's actions in the past. She hoped dearly that Emma nearly dying hadn't been a sign that Magic was going to come for Emma's life as the cause of the disturbance and broken Laws. There was not much one could do to hold back true and natural magic from doing anything…but she would try, she would keep a closer eye on Emma and make sure the girl was safe until the Marian situation was resolved.

~8~

Piped draped another blanket over Emma's shoulders as she sat in Mary Margaret's apartment, half nudging Hook out of the way where he was rubbing her arms to do it. Emma sighed in relief as she felt the extra thick cloth surround her, tugging it closer as David brought a portable heater over to place before his daughter.

"Emma," he knelt down, getting it set up.

"Hmm?" she hummed, her teeth chattering.

"You ok?"

"She's so cold," Hook answered.

"Perhaps because someone let her get trapped in an ice cavern," Piper shot BOTH men a look for that…though the effect of it was lost when she ended up yawning widely, trying to hide it behind her hand, right at the end.

"Go sit down," David jerked a finger at the couch despite the fact they could barely see it in the darkness…

Which, of course, was right when the lights flickered back on.

Piper blinked, "Oh," she winced, realizing that she'd completely forgotten about Mary Margaret and the power grid in the rush of saving Emma. But it appeared her cousin had worked out what to do all on her own.

"Oh, that's good," Emma breathed as the electric heater turned on with the power, hitting her with a wave of warm air.

"I'll go make some hot cocoa," Henry offered, having been lingering around the edge of them while they tried to get Emma situated.

"Wait…" Emma feebly tried to reach for him.

But Henry grabbed her hand anyway, smiling, "I know. With cinnamon."

"I'm sorry if I wasn't much help earlier, kid," Emma spoke, her words only slightly less shaking and broken up than before.

"I'm just glad you're ok," he told her, leaning in to hug her tightly, "I was already down to one mother, and I won't go lower than that."

"And I, for one," Piper added, having curled up on the couch, her feet up on the small coffee table before her, "Shall not let that happen Henry."

"For BOTH my mothers?" Henry challenged, knowing that, of course she would protect Emma, but he did have another equally important woman in his life that had the title of 'mother' also.

Piper was silent, giving him a near narrow eyed look, not an evil look or angry one, more considering, "Perhaps one day," was all she could offer. She didn't like her family being hurt and if that meant helping to keep Regina relatively safe, well…she supposed she did have a sort of truce with the woman now that her revenge against her had been satisfied. Who knew what the future would hold so long as Regina continued to protect the family in days to come and not harm it as she had in the past.

Emma gave a weak smile at that, before her gaze was pulled to something out of the corner of her eye, Elsa shuffling in the kitchen area, "Elsa You ok?"

"Not only have I lost my sister, I've lost her necklace, too," Elsa sighed, "Now I have nothing of hers."

"Then let's find her," David stood, moving over to where the shepherd's crook was resting and picking it up, bringing it over to Elsa and handing it to her, "A long time ago she was branded by the magic in this crook, which allows the person holding it to keep track of their 'flock.' Just…focus on Anna and look into the hooked part, you should see where she is."

Elsa nodded and focused everything she could on the image of her sister…but nothing appeared, "I don't see anything."

David frowned, "It _should_ work."

"Is it broken?" Hook asked.

"Or does it mean something happened to her?" Elsa whispered, fear lacing her words.

"Can you all truly not hear that?" Piper glanced at them, she knew Sirens had slightly better hearing than humans did, but she didn't think the sound she was hearing was quite THAT low…

"Hear what?" David turned to her.

"The heartbeat," Piper stated, "There is a heartbeat coming from that crook."

The room quieted down at that, all of them listening intently, and, soon enough, they could hear the faint heartbeat as well.

Emma smiled at that, her lips just a bit less blue, "We might not know where your sister is, but we know the most important thing."

"She's alive!" Elsa beamed.

"Who's alive?" Mary Margaret called just as the door opened and she entered the room, Neal in her arms, stopping short when she saw Elsa standing there, "Oh. Who are you?"

"Uh, this is Elsa," David moved over to his wife's side, "We're gonna find her sister. That's what this family does. We find people," he smiled at Mary Margaret, "We always do, because we really, _really_ don't like to give up."

Mary Margaret started to smile at that…till she looked over at the other occupants and saw the state Emma was in, "Emma!" she gasped, rushing over to her daughter, "What happened? David, what happened?" she looked to her husband, not giving Emma a chance to answer, then just as swiftly turned to Piper, "Rose?"

"Your _dear_ husband and the bilge rat apparently spooked…" she bit back a yawn, "Elsa, enough to trap her and Emma in an ice cavern," Piper deadpanned, "Where she nearly froze to death."

"What?!" Mary Margaret turned to David and Hook as Emma winced.

"That wasn't exactly the whole story," Emma defended weakly, though it was rather close.

"And we got her out," David added, "She's safe now and…"

"And half frozen!" Mary Margaret cut in.

"But warming," Hook tried to offer, but he backed down when Mary Margaret shot him a glare.

"Here you go mom," Henry handed Emma the hot chocolate he'd made.

"Thanks, kid," Emma smiled at him, taking a sip and humming in delight of it.

"David?" Mary Margaret gave him a look.

"She's fine, Snow, I promise," David told her, moving over to gently take Neal from her arms, "She just needs to rest a bit, just like her little brother."

Mary Margaret looked less than impressed with how he was brushing aside how serious it was, but then she caught the look in his eyes, the guilt, the fear, the relief…and sighed, letting him take their son to his crib. She turned and unceremoniously fell down onto the couch next to Piper.

She looked at her cousin and blinked, "Are you…ok Rose?" she asked, seeing Piper appeared about to nod off right there on the couch…she couldn't recall the last time she'd ever seen her cousin that tired.

"Yes," she yawned, "I am well Snow. Merely…exhausted."

"I can see that," Mary Margaret chuckled a bit, "What happened?"

"I helped save your daughter," Piper said simply, adding a small shrug, "As Elsa was weakening the ice walls of the cavern, I was using my music and my magic to send small blasts of power at the walls to help them crumble. I suppose I put more into it than I realized."

Mary Margaret stared at her with a soft look in her eyes at that, "You helped save Emma."

"Of course I did," Piper opened her eyes to look at her cousin, "She is family, Snow. I will always do whatever it takes to protect them, no matter what. I will never allow harm to befall this family if I can help it."

Mary Margaret smiled at that, glancing over to where David was bobbing their son, trying to get him to fall asleep, "I know you won't," she murmured.

Piper's brow furrowed slightly at Mary Margaret's tone, at something…odd in it. She didn't know if it was the mere exhaustion she felt that was slowing down her mind or if it was something else but, for the first time in a long while…she didn't quite know what was stirring in her cousin's mind.

Something felt…off…between them, but she didn't know what.

A/N: Hmm...seems something is up with Snow letting Piper babysit...I can say there's more to it than we see in the show where she just doesn't want to be parted from her son just yet }:)

Some notes on reviews...

I can say that the reunion for Piper and August will be full of tears, but I won't say if it's happy tears or sad ones }:)

I'm glad the stories are able to help give you a bit of joy :') If there's ever anything I can do to help or if you ever need someone to talk to or anything, please don't hesitate to PM me ;)

Thank you :) If I ever do use the theory, I'll be sure to contact you first though just to make doubly sure (I'm paranoid lol) ;)


	4. Soft Spots, Hard Hearts

Soft Spots, Hard Hearts

A blonde woman in a tattered grey dress made her way through the woods, her hand, pale and thin, coming up to rest on a tree or two as she passed them, using them to help push her onwards as she continued her trek. It was nearly dark, the dusk just beginning to settle over the land, yet the woman was walking through the forest. It was a dangerous time, that particular branch of the Dark Woods home to a score of deadly and vicious animals, yet the woman seemed completely unaffected by the threat, just walking on.

She paused a moment beside a rather gnarled oak tree, straightening more and turning, pulling down her hood and looking into the distance behind her. She closed her eyes a moment, allowing the sounds of the forest to drift over to her, and smirked. She could hear them, hear the faint melodies of nature and animals around her. Where others would be spooked by the noises of the forest, the creaking of the tree branches, the rustling of the bushes, the howling of the wolves in the distance, she found them…comforting.

She was the Pied Piper after all, and animals were far more easily controlled than humans.

She feared none of the animals that lurked in the darkness, confident in her music, in her magic, in the pipe resting in her boot that she would be able to defend herself against them. No, not just defend herself, control them if need be. Perhaps she should consider that, reaching her destination with a horde of ferocious beasts hers to command, a little show of her strength and power to the person she sought. But the idea quickly left her, with the way fate seemed to mock her, she would appear with the horde and be incinerated by a fireball.

That is, if the rumors of how evil and cruel the Dark One was said to be held any truth at all.

She was unsure of it, of just what the man was like. All she knew of him was hearsay, the encounters of others that had fallen victim to his 'deals' or that had found themselves the target of another's deal. She did not trust the word of those men, most appeared scorned. From the tales she heard, most men either did not get what they bargained for, in which case, shame on them for not being more specific in their requests. To make a deal with the devil one must be prepared to deal with the devil in return. Those men were not as bright as they liked to imagine themselves if they could not think that someone as powerful as the Dark One would try to find a way to make the deal benefit himself as well. They all seemed under the impression that the Dark One would do as they requested, exactly as they wanted, with little to no benefit to himself. It was a fool's belief.

It was one reason she was prepared to offer something first, offer him a benefit that he would be hard pressed to refuse, control the amount of loopholes he would undoubtedly try to put into the deal. If she gave him something, offered up what he would be given in return right at the start, perhaps he would stick more to their bargain, if he accepted it.

The other men, though, they were the even more foolish. They were the men that had made a deal and, through the course of seeing it fulfilled, changed their minds and tried to back out of it. She would not be so daft as to make that mistake, not with someone like the Dark One. Nor would she ever think to do it with any other as well. She always upheld her end of a bargain, she had had more than enough people trying to outwit her or trick her into a better deal for them or refuse to pay her for her services. They all suffered the consequences for it. She understood what it was like to have someone try to back out once a deal was struck, she would not subject someone else to the same folly. No, if she was to make this deal, it would be in place for a very long time and she would NOT be the one to back out first, that much was certain.

She looked up at the sun, able to see it starting to set in the distance. Not that she could actually SEE the sun, not through the thick trees around her, not with it so low to the ground now, but from the sky above the trees. It was going to be dark very soon, something she was looking forward to.

It was easier to travel in the darkness, at least when one did not fear the dark nor those that dwelled within it. In the daylight it was easier to see her moving through the woods despite her brown cloak and hood, she was still visible. And with the sun beating down it could be unbearable to keep going with so little supplies as she had. She was nearing the end of her water as well, not having come across a stream recently. The dark was better, let her feel the strain of the journey less than if she was making her way in the day. She was practically invisible at night, there were less people in the woods, and the only 'danger' out there were the animals but they paid her no mind if she hummed the right tune to ward them off.

She sighed, turning back to her path and taking a breath, starting to do just that. It was not that she didn't mind coming across a beast or two, they were so entertaining to spook off, but she was tired and she would rather not deal with any other nuisance till she'd reached the Dark One's castle. Being in a sour mood or too exhausted would be sure to cloud her judgment and she needed to be as close to her best as she could be when confronting a man as tricky and slippery as the Dark One was rumored to be.

And so she hummed, using the music both as a way to protect her and calm her. There were times where using her songs could make her tired, when she used too much energy, when others fought back against her magic, but more often than not, the small humming was just that, humming. It was a smaller amount of magic used and as it was more internal, there was nowhere else for the energy to go than inside her, it was like a loop in that sense. She'd used it in the past to give herself an energy boost.

So lost in her music was she that she didn't hear a rustling in the bushes nor the approaching song till she'd heard a gasp behind her.

She paused in her trek, not one for gasping or letting others see her reaction. She couldn't think of the last time she'd really let another person see what she was truly feeling, she'd come so far from the pitiful princess she'd been to the woman she was now. She would not give anyone the advantage of seeing her startled. So she stopped walking, she tilted her head to the side and listened a moment, frowning at the music she heard, before she turned entirely…

And saw nothing there.

No, that wasn't entirely true, she could make out the outline of a person, a small person, hiding behind a tree but not having the sense to NOT peek out from behind it. She could make out a small form in the dying light, but even if she couldn't, the song itself was enough to know it was a child standing behind the tree. There was something about the song of a child that couldn't be matched by adults, like a whimsy in their tunes, it gave a feeling of innocence. The only person she knew that had an even slightly whimsical feel to their song as an adult was Snow, but her song had matured just as all children do when they grew. This one though still had that light feel to it, it was truly a child and not a rather small adult.

"Come out from behind there," she called, internally wincing at the sound of her voice. One side effect of humming for so long was that her voice sometimes sounded quite hoarse after, "I know you are there. Come out."

There was a shuffle, but the child moved more behind the tree.

Piper let out a long, quiet breath, "I mean you no harm," she offered.

But still the child remained hidden, which, she had to admit, was quite smart of them. No one should trust a random stranger that said they wouldn't hurt you, more often than not they did.

She looked around, trying to think of something that would get the child out from behind the tree and closer to her. It wasn't…she shouldn't care. She really shouldn't, she should just turn her back and keep on her path and get to the Dark One like she planned. The child shouldn't matter. An adult wouldn't, if it was an adult she would have likely incapacitated them into a stupor for following her and been on her way. But that was just it, wasn't it? It wasn't an adult, it was a _child_.

A child wandering the middle of dangerous woods, at night, clearly frightened which could very well mean the child was lost.

And as much as she wanted to, as much as she desired to just turn her back on the small person and walk away…she couldn't.

She knew what it was like to be a child and be frightened, never in the woods and never of the dark, but she'd been scared as a child before and…children…as much as she'd hated the other children growing up, she had somehow developed a fondness for them now that she was older. Perhaps it was their songs, a breath of light in the dreary sounds of the monotonous world around her.

Or perhaps it was because they didn't automatically fear her like everyone else did.

Adults looked at her, at how she held herself, at her expression, at the aura she gave off and stayed away. They just sensed something wrong with her, something…not human, and wanted to keep back. Children didn't have that prejudice, they were adept at sensing things, but they were also kinder, more towards adults than each other that was certain, but they didn't look at her as though she was a monster. It was funny, that, how the children looked at her, when she'd been a child, as something inhuman, they saw her on the same level as themselves, yet children NOW, as she was older, saw her as something different but not an alarming different, they looked up to her, they…were curious about her, they even seemed to enjoy her company at times, especially not when she started to play her pipe and make animals dance and…

"Hmm," she hummed, a thought striking her. She leaned down and pulled her pipe from her boot, keeping her eye on the tree as she brought the pipe to her lips and began to play a gentle tune.

She looked up only when the sounds of flapping grew louder than her song, and smirked to see small, colorful butterflies descending, flying around her in a circle, before she nodded towards the tree, the little insects swarming towards the child, spinning around her while the music continued.

A little girl, it was a little girl that stepped out from behind the tree, her hands out as though to try and touch the butterflies though they kept quite far from her reach.

Piper waited a moment more before letting the song drift to an end, the butterflies scattering the moment the music stopped.

"Did you do that?" the little girl turned to her.

Piper eyed her, she was small, likely quite short for her age, with black hair in pigtails, in a peasant's night gown, a simple white, long nightshirt. The girl had probably snuck out after her parents put her to bed.

"I did," Piper nodded.

"Can you do that again?!" the girl beamed.

"No."

The girl pouted at the simple yet firm answer, "How did you do it?"

"Magic."

"You have magic!?" her eyes widened.

"Yes."

"In you pipe?"

"Yes," Piper offered, not about to explain to the girl exactly what she was. Sometimes children knew what a Siren was, sometimes they didn't, almost always when they did know they saw it as a dark creature, which it truly was, and were frightened of it.

The girl frowned, "Do you always give just one word for an answer?"

"No."

The girl huffed at that, making Piper smirk.

"What are you doing in the woods so late?" Piper continued.

The girl looked away, "I…I saw a wisp," she answered, "Out my window. I followed it but I got lost. I couldn't find my way back. But then I saw you walking through the woods and mother always said if I get lost to find someone that can help me back," she looked at Piper, "Can you?"

"Can I what?"

"Help me back?"

"Back where?"

The girl crossed her arms, "You're answering questions with questions now," she pointed out, but sighed, "Back to my village," she clarified, "It's…it's not good to be in the woods at night and it's…" she looked at the sky, the hues now nearly a dark purple, "It's nearly dark. I don't want to be in the woods. There are monsters here!"

Piper stiffened at that a moment, till she realized the girl was completely unaware that SHE was a monster standing before her, technically, by her Siren blood…and by the copious amounts of deceit, destruction, and death she'd brought ot others of her own freewill so…perhaps best not to mention any of that to the child. If she breathed a word of what she was or what she'd done or who she was, the girl would run off and she DID understand the woods were dangerous to most others, especially to children. The beasts that lived in the woods wouldn't care if she was a child or not so long as she was tasty.

"Then we should return you home with haste," Piper sighed.

The girl smiled and held out a hand to Piper, who eyed it a moment, before stepping closer and taking the girl's hand, the two of them heading off into the woods.

~8~

The girl had to have wandered very far, by Piper's reckoning, if it was taking them this long to find her blasted village that the darkness of night had already fallen. She should have expected it though, the wisps could lead people leagues away from their homes if the person fell for it long enough. It was good the girl had gotten distracted and ventured off, it might have saved her life in the end.

"Does any of this look familiar to you?" Piper asked.

The girl had been trying to backtrack, and had completely missed the footprints she'd left in the dirt. Piper had spotted them though and gotten them on the right path for the moment, but she wanted to know if any of it was a sign they were close to the village. She wasn't a tracker, not at all, but she had learned a trick or two about covering her tracks, something the girl hadn't thought to do which was lucky for them as she hadn't been able to hear the songs of a group of people just yet so they still had to be quite some distance.

"No," the girl sighed, glancing up at Piper as she held the woman's hand, "Do you think we're lost?"

Piper shook her head, "We are following the steps you took that led to me, we shall just reverse them back to your village."

"Why do you talk like that?"

"Like what?"

The girl huffed, thinking she was answering questions with questions again, "The long way. You keep saying 'we are' instead of 'we're' or 'we shall' instead of 'we'll,' it's annoying."

"My apologies," Piper smirked, "It is merely how I talk."

The girl rolled her eyes and let go of Piper's hand, moving over to the edge of a set of bushes before them, leaning in to look at them as though trying to see if they were familiar to her, "Well it's really annoying."

She almost laughed at that…when another song began to grow louder just ahead of them, a song that was getting louder and louder far too quickly. Something was running towards them, "Get behind me," she ordered the girl.

"What?"

But Piper ran for her and pulled her back right as a large bear came racing out of the bushes ahead of them, roaring. The girl screamed at the sight, the bear rearing back on its hind legs and roaring loudly at them, swinging its arm right for them. Piper jumped back but the front of her cloak had gotten swiped, tearing it. The bear dropped down onto all fours to growl at them menacingly, snarling, his teeth bared.

"Cover your ears," Piper told the girl, not even waiting to see if the girl would question her as she grabbed her hands and pushed them over her ears, yanking her pipe from her boot quickly and playing a tune.

She didn't have enough time to try and lull the bear to sleep or make it calmer, there was no time, not with the girl behind her, not with the fear in the air to keep it excited. So she played a high pitched note, blaring it out of the small pipe, making the bear roar, this time more in pain, and thrash back and forth, shaking its head as though trying to keep the noise out. It started to back up, wanting to get away from the sounds, but Piper followed it a few steps, the bear, letting out one more vicious roar before it collapsed to the ground.

"Is…is it dead?" the girl asked, slowly lowering her hands from her ears when she saw Piper lower her pipe.

"No," Piper remarked, "But it will not remain down for long," she turned to the girl, holding out her hand, "We must go, now, and quickly. I do not doubt that there are other bears close by and they will come because he called."

The girl ran to Piper's side and grabbed her hand, the two of them racing off through the trees this time.

~8~

Piper had never been more relieved than to hear the buzzing start in her head, a sign that a very large crowd was nearby. She led the girl towards it, her hand firmly grasped in her own, though the girl was sticking very much closer to her than she had been, which she did not blame her for at all. The near attack from the bear, the fact that if she hadn't been pulled back when she had, the bear would have harmed her severely, had made the girl all the more frightened and seeking protection.

Well that was a first, someone seeking protection from the Pied Piper instead of wanting to be protected from her.

She shook her head, now was not the time to think of that, not when the village was so close, she could see it now, through the trees, the large huts and small cabins that had made up the little settlement. She could hear the songs louder now, causing a bit of a headache, but nothing she hadn't experienced before. What's more…she could hear the actual voices of the villagers, all of them shouting, rushing about, seeming in a panic.

The girl winced as they reached the edge of the village, stepping out past the tree line and into the cleared area, both of them had the suspicion that the panic had been caused by her disappearance. Judging by the light, by the clarity of the stars above them, she had been missing quite some time, long enough for her mother to discover her bed empty and sound the alarms or frantically request help to find her. Of course the village would search among themselves first, what if she'd run off to see a friend in another hut? What if she was sneaking into the storerooms? What if she was pulling a small jest against an 'enemy?'

It appeared they'd reached the point of realizing she truly was not in the village any longer and were starting to organize a search for the girl into the woods.

"Shall we?" Piper looked at the girl as she seemed hesitant to enter the village now.

She could only imagine why. She and Snow had pulled a trick like that once, wandered into the woods or somewhere and fallen asleep, hadn't meant to be gone so long and returned to the guards about to launch a massive search for them. The scolding alone was something she would never forget, no child wanted to endure being yelled at by their parent, nor be the cause of such panic among their friends and fellow villagers.

The girl just gave a small nod and started to lead the way through a small alley between two little cabins and into the middle of the village. Well, it was quite a small village from what Piper could see if going between two homes brought one to the center of the area. She could see a large gathering of adults by a bonfire a few feet away, none of them seeming to have noticed the two behind them.

Not wanting to dally any longer from her quest, Piper brought her fingers to her lips and let out a shrill whistle, making the adults flinch and turn quickly, "I believe I have something that belongs to you?" she gestured down, tugging at the hand still holding hers to get the girl, who had hidden behind her legs, to step out from around her.

"Mary!" one of the women, the most frantic of the lot, her eyes shining red from tears, broke free from the others and ran for the girl, who ran for her as well, dropping to her knees and gathering her daughter into her arms, hugging her tightly, "What were you thinking?!" the woman pulled back, shaking Mary by the shoulders slightly, "What were you thinking leaving your bed?!"

"I saw a wisp," the girl, Mary, whispered, tears in her eyes, "I just wanted to follow it. I'm sorry."

"Oh my darling," the woman hugged her tightly, "Don't do that ever again, do you hear me? Never again. Scared me half to death!"

"I was fine though," Mary tried to defend, "My new friend found me wandering and brought me back!" she cheered pointing to Piper as she lingered in the back, not speaking, "She even saved me from the bear!"

"What?!" one of the men jumped at that, "A bear? How?" he looked at Piper intently for that, not seeing a weapon on her.

"She used her magic," Mary said simply, "She has this playing pipe that has magic in it. She played it and the bear stopped chasing us. She used it to bring the butterflies down too!"

Piper tensed at Mary's words, seeing the men and women of the village look up at her with wide eyes. She could make out the exact moment when they all realized just WHO she could possibly be if she had a 'magic pipe' and was powerful enough to stop a bear in its tracks. She could tell the exact moment…because it was when Mary's mother stood and yanked the girl back behind her.

"You!" the woman screeched, everyone's expression darkening as they worked out it wasn't a 'new friend' standing before them, not some helpful individual, but the Pied Piper herself.

There was only one person in the Enchanted Forest that had her magic, her calling card in a pipe. It seemed her reputation very much proceeded her if even a little village like Mary's knew of her.

"Get out!" the same man as before spoke, shouting at her, "Get out and leave us be!"

"We don't want your kind here," another woman yelled.

"My kind?" Piper's eyes narrowed at that, not sure if they meant Sirens or something else, though a part of her brain reminded her that there was no way they could know she was part Siren unless they knew who she really was.

"You sorcerers," an old man spat at her, "We don't need your magic, we don't want your magic, get out!"

"I do believe you are forgetting that I saved the life of young Mary there," Piper pointed out, "You are being quite ungrateful. And I do not appreciate that."

"As though you weren't going to take her like you did the other children?" Mary's mother glared at her.

"Why bring her back then?" Piper countered, eyeing them all with narrowed eyes.

"Payment," the old man glared, "You always want payment. Well we woulda found Mary just fine, we don't need your help. We aren't going to be 'paying the Piper' for something we didn't ask for, so leave!"

Piper shook her head at them, these…humans…being so ungrateful for her help. Without her Mary would have been attacked in the woods ages ago, long before they could have organized anything close to a search party for her. And they had the audacity to tell her her help wasn't even appreciated? That they didn't care if she had saved Mary's life? And the assumption that she'd want payment? She knew she had a reputation for wanting to be paid, but for a service that was agreed upon by both sides first. These men and women were truly so prejudiced that they wouldn't even THANK her for saving a child's life and bringing her back when they were very much right in that she could have kept Mary away from them but didn't.

That should have been evidence enough for them that this was a unique instance, but they were ignoring all of it.

"You have gravely insulted me," Piper warned them, her voice dropping so low and deadly that the men and women finally seemed to realize what they'd said and how it had sounded, "And I do not appreciate that at all. Perhaps, instead of a payment I never asked for, I should seek reparations for the slight against me. You value Mary's life so low that you claim to not appreciate my help in saving it?" she shrugged, "Then I do not suppose you value the lives of your other children…or even your own?"

"Don't…" Mary's mother begged, clutching Mary tighter behind her.

"What?" Piper tilted her head, "Do not take the children, relieve you of them? Do not end your own miserable lives for the insult you have given me? Do not cause you to burn your own village to the ground? Please, do tell me what you wish me not to do."

"Mother let me go!" Mary managed to finally struggle out of her mother's hold, dashing from around her and right over to Piper, ignoring the screams and cries of her mother and the other adults as they tried to stop her, all of them making a move to grab her until she'd reached Piper's legs and hugged them, causing them to freeze…now she had the leverage.

Piper looked down at the girl embracing her legs with an odd frown on her face, "Mary?"

Mary giggled a bit at that, before looking up at her, "Questions again, always questions with you," she smiled, "Thank you," she told the woman, "For saving me from the bear and helping me get home," she glanced over her shoulder at the others and back to Piper, whispering, "Grown ups are stupid sometimes," she told her, as though imparting a secret, "Mother gets scared and she gets angry and she says the wrong things. She doesn't mean them, and she says sorry later, but she does it," she stepped back, "Don't be mad at them, they were just worried about me. And they don't know you like I do," she beamed, "You're my friend no matter what."

Piper blinked at that, glancing between Mary and the villagers and back. She felt her heart tug inside her and let out a long breath, half frustrated, half resigned, before she eyed the villagers again, "I spare your town," she told them, "For one reason, and one reason alone," she gestured at Mary, "Because a child has more sense than any of you, and I do not murder children."

And with that, she turned and stalked off back to the woods, her hands in fists at her sides. She never harmed children, not when she was bigger than them and more powerful. Oh there had been a time or two when she had been a child and defended herself from other children, sometimes attacked them due to slights they gave Snow White, but the older she got the less she felt the desire to harm other children. They were innocents, they looked at her with innocence, they didn't see what other children had when they were the same age.

Mary had proven that.

And for that reason alone, she would spare that village, because Mary lived there, and Mary had been…kind to her.

And no one had done that, shown her any kindness, in…so long.

A/N: I think FF might be glitching again, the last few days I've updated the stories and it's taken like 2 hours, sometimes even more than 12 hours, to actually have an email alert sent out :/ I haven't gotten a single alert since about 3pm yesterday either for anything :/ I'm going to try to update this story at around 8:30-9am Eastern Standard Time (NY time) as a reference though in case this glitch continues. It's a little annoying to post and then only have the alert go out the next day :(

But I hope you liked this chapter :) I wanted to sort of show Piper's interest in and soft spot for children, it wasn't always using them as bait but also how they treated her, without the prejudice of adults :) I feel like the exception, the children that did treat her poorly, were the ones when SHE was a child too, they could see something much more off in her while the same age as her, while she's an adult though the children see her more as something else ;)

Some notes on reviews...

Very interesting theory for what might happen with the banishment ;) I can't quite see Piper crying and begging anyone to do something though, but we'll have to wait and see how that incident comes about }:)

I can say we'll find out a little bit on why the songs aren't mixing well very soon ;) The Elsa-Piper tension will die down a little bit the more Piper (and Emma) get to know Elsa and her past and her magic, but for that first meeting, I couldn't see her being uncaring that Emma was in danger because of Elsa ;) Oh there will be quite a few Gold-Henry bonding moments to come ;) I'll be expanding some scenes from the show and maybe adding an original one or two ;) But thank you for the link! :)

That would be very interesting if August was the Author, though I can't see him having allowed some things that happened to Piper in her past to happen if he cares for her as a mother-figure, he'd probably have tried to protect her more ;)


	5. Rocky Road

Rocky Road

Piper stood beside Gold in his shop, giving Emma and Hook a less than amused (less than pleased in Hook's case) look as they stood before her with Elsa between them. They'd come to the shop bright and early, hoping to get to Gold before she got there it seemed, judging by their tense expressions to see her there. She'd stopped by Granny's to get him some light breakfast and a warm drink, taking it to him at the shop before she was going to head to Town Hall where her cousin was holding her first meeting as Mayor. Gold had wanted to be at his shop bright and early and give it the once over, making sure no one else had stolen from him. Emma had come in, asking questions about Elsa, whether or not Gold knew she'd been in the urn, whether he knew who she or the woman's sister, Anna, was.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you," Gold stated, "But I've never seen her before in my life."

"So how'd she end up inside your urn inside your secret vault of terror?" Emma countered, her eyes narrow in suspicion.

"Look," Gold sighed, "If you really want to know how she wound up there, she's standing right beside you, Miss Swan. Why don't you simply _ask_ her?"

"She did," Elsa offered, "But I can't remember. Something happened to my memories."

"Well, an all-too-common affliction 'round these parts. Pity."

"Emma," Piper looked at her niece, "At least half the objects in this vault came over with the various curses, some of them belonged to prior Dark Ones. Others were mere leftovers that the curse could not place in other places."

"Exactly," Gold nodded, "I can't know the history behind everything here."

"Only if there's something in it for you," Hook glared, "Right, mate?"

"Watch your tone, pirate," Piper shot right back, "Or shall we discuss how your redemption is based solely on what is 'in it for you' in regards to Emma?"

She still wasn't fully convinced that he was trying to change his ways out of the 'goodness' of his heart as opposed to gaining points and favor with Emma. Until she was sure that the man truly was worthy of her niece, she was going to keep a watchful eye on him.

"If you haven't forgotten," Gold added, "I've lost my son, Pip is the only person I have left in my life. As hard as it may be for you to believe, I actually care about her family, because it's important to her," he gestured at Piper, "If I could help, I would. But I can't, because I have never seen this woman before."

"Don't forget about my super power," Emma warned, "I'll be able to tell if you're lying."

"How about I do you one better?" Gold challenged, "Let's simply have Pip use the dagger on me."

"No," Piper shook her head.

"Why not?" he looked at her, "Miss Swan wants proof. And I'm happy to cooperate."

"Well I am not," Piper turned to Emma, "You want the truth Emma, you have been standing there this entire time, you walked in here with the suspicion that Rummy was lying to you and using your power from the start. So tell me, is he?"

Emma was silent.

"As I thought," Piper nodded, "I shall not be using the Dagger on Rummy, nor," she shot Hook a look as he opened his mouth, "Shall I allow any of you to use it instead. I trust Rummy, I trust that he speaks the truth in this, it is up to you whether you trust ME."

Emma took a breath as Piper held her gaze, as though daring her to say, after everything she had done for the woman, for Mary Margaret, for baby Neal, for their family, that she didn't trust her still.

"Fine," Emma murmured, "He checks out," she said, more to herself than the others.

Piper smirked at that and gave a curt nod as Emma and the others turned to go.

"I wish you best of luck finding her," Gold called out after them.

Piper sighed as the door shut, "Very cunning play on words, Rummy."

Gold smirked at that, "I've had centuries of experience Pip."

He HAD been telling the truth, he had never seen Elsa before this moment…she'd been trapped in the urn before he'd even had a moment to glimpse her in person.

She glanced over at him, "And you promise that no harm shall come to my family for this?"

He nodded, taking her hand, "You have my word, Pip, they are now my grandson's family on top of yours," he pressed a kiss to the back of her hand, "I have…deals pending, ones that should work out to be most beneficial."

She leaned in, pressing a kiss to his lips instead, trusting him. He had explained to her the necklace, told her that he knew of Elsa, even how she had ended up in the urn, why she didn't remember how it happened. But he had requested that she...not outright lie to her family, but that she give him time to see if certain things would come to fruition, if he might be able to use what he knew to further their question to cleave him from his Dagger first before saying anything. And she agreed, so long as her family was not going to be endangered by withholding that information, she would hold her peace. At the moment, freeing him from the threat of being controlled by others was far more important than helping an ice princess regain lost memories or find her sister. She couldn't care less about this Anna woman, she DID care about her true love and his freedom.

~8~

Piper couldn't help but smile as she approached the Mayor's office of Town Hall, especially when Mary Margaret came into sight with Neal cradled in her arms, greeting various people as they entered, "Snow," she walked up to her.

"Rose," Mary Margaret breathed, sounding relieved to see her, "Thank you for coming."

"Of course I would come," she pulled away from giving her a brief hug, "I have not gotten to spend nearly as much time with my nephew, may I?" she gestured at the baby.

"Oh…no, it's ok," she smiled, "I got it."

"You planning to run your first fireside chat holding a newborn?" David's voice spoke as he walked over to tell her the meeting was ready to start.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Mary Margaret nodded, "Mothers are natural multi-taskers."

"That may be, but you're juggling a lot right now."

"That's true," Mary Margaret admitted, "I have to say, I'm starting to have more and more respect for our court jester every day."

"Yeah. Rupert was special…"

"If you two are quite done reminiscing," Piper cut in, though not harshly, "Snow," she turned to her cousin, "Be assured I shall block entrance to the office if I am not allowed to hold my nephew for more than a moment."

Mary Margaret looked down at her son and back at Piper, starting to shift a bit.

"I am not denying your ability to rule and be a mother at the same time," Piper reassured her, thinking that was what was bothering her cousin, "I am merely reminding you that you have family and that you cannot hold onto him forever without your arms tiring," she held her arms open, "If you wish for me to promise you the position of third in line to hold my child, should ever I have one, I am not above offering that in exchange for holding my nephew during the meeting."

"No," Mary Margaret shook her head, "No, no, you're right," she smiled though it was tense, "I'm being silly. And it's…it's not like anything can happen, I mean, you'll be right there, standing right there, right next to me, in sight at all times and…it'll be fine," she nodded, stepping closer to Piper, slowly, very slowly, handing her son over to him.

Piper eyed her oddly for that, both what she said and how slowly she was giving over holding her child when she had been so quick and at ease doing it that night at the diner, "Many thanks," she murmured.

"Be thankful," David remarked, moving to put an arm around Mary Margaret's shoulders, "You're holding him more than I've gotten to," he joked, earning an elbow to the side from his wife.

Piper ignored him, just looking down at Neal as he cooed up at her, catching his hand with one of her fingers, letting him grip it, a soft smile coming to her face. She glanced up only a moment to follow Mary Margaret and David into the office.

"That's…really weird," she heard David whisper to Mary Margaret.

"What is?" Mary Margaret whispered back, though not quite so quiet.

"She almost looks human when she holds him."

"She IS human David," Mary Margaret told him fiercely.

David held up his hands in surrender, backing away as Mary Margaret picked up a paper from the desk with what appeared to be an itinerary printed on it. She glanced at Piper, who made to lean against the side of the desk, Neal securely in her arms, and took a breath, focusing on the circle of people that had gathered in the room, Robin Hood and his family in the back, the Dwarves, Granny, Archie, and a few others, all there to act as her makeshift council.

"Hi, everyone," she greeted, sounding almost forced-chipper, "And welcome to the very first Mayor's fireside chat. For too long, this office was a place to be feared. Well, I want every citizen to feel welcome and included here. So, if you could just refer to the meeting agenda I've printed, there are…"

"Uh," Archie spoke up, "What's this about an ice wall?"

"Oh, that's, uh, item four," Mary Margaret smiled, "We'll get to that in a minute and…"

"I vote we skip items 1, 2, and 3," Grumpy groused, "Show of hands?"

All the hands shot up instantly, making Piper scoff at their impatience but allowing Neal to distract her from commenting, the boy was tugging at her necklace and the last thing she wanted was for it to break and teleport them to Gold's Shop and give Mary Margaret a heart attack.

"Yeah, that's…oh, fine," Mary Margaret nodded, "No, I can…I can be flexible. The ice wall is nothing to worry about. For the time being, it _does_ surround the entire town…"

"What?!" someone shouted.

"The entire town?" Archie gaped.

"Are you serious?!" Grumpy snapped, his booming voice making Neal start to cry.

"Shh," Piper murmured to the boy, humming gently to him to quiet him, not even noticing Mary Margaret turning to her, about to take the baby away the second the first whimper started.

Mary Margaret took a breath, watching her cousin a moment longer, before swallowing hard and focusing back on the meeting, "Everyone calm down. The wall isn't hurting anyone."

"We've been through all this before," Grumpy huffed, "I ain't worried about the wall. I'm worried about who made it."

"Item five!" Mary Margaret smiled, pleased to be somewhat on track, "Her name is Elsa. She's a friend."

"Is she the one that froze my truck?"

"And made that snow monster that almost killed Marian?" Granny frowned.

Marian blinked, surprised to have been mentioned, "But…I…I'm fine," she promised, "Really."

Piper glanced up at her, a small frown on her face. For someone who had been shouting that Regina was a monster for trying to kill her, she was awfully forgiving of someone else that had tried to kill her too…

"I've spoken to Elsa," David spoke up, moving to stand by his wife, "And I promise you we will have all of this under control very soon. And there will be no more danger of any kind."

"So, if we could all just circle back around to item one," Mary Margaret smiled, "We can all discuss…"

"Marian!" Robin suddenly cried out, making them all look back in time to see Marian sway on the spot, a white streak appearing in her hair before she promptly collapsed, "Marian!" Robin tried to shake her awake, "Marian!"

"Well…" Piper blinked as the small group leapt up to try and help the fallen woman. She glanced down at Neal who was just looking up at her curiously, and played with his little hand, completely unfazed by the commotion around them, "That was unexpected, was it not?"

~8~

Piper frowned as she watched Mary Margaret pacing around the Mayor's office…two feet in front of her feet as they rested up on a small coffee table before her. She wasn't sure if the woman was pacing because of the woman freezing to death on her couch or the fact that Neal had screamed bloody murder when Mary Margaret had tried to take him back before. The first could be possible, Marian WAS lying on the couch, a thin layer of frost starting to form over her, her lips turning blue, and that would be enough to put a damper on even Snow White's spirit. But, then again, Neal was her son and the boy seemed to be fond of his 'Aunt P' as Henry enjoyed calling her, getting to have a hold of him for the moment. Mary Margaret had reached out to take him and he'd allowed it, but the second he looked over and saw her on the other side of the room he started crying and screaming…till Mary Margaret had deposited him back into her arms with a frown.

She couldn't help it if her nephew liked her and the little tunes she hummed to him. And she wasn't even using her magic on him, just giving little silly tunes and songs that she remembered from her childhood. Funny little songs that she and Snow had made up when they were younger. No magic at all involved.

Maybe the boy was just tired of only having his mother hold him. If David's words were to be believed, then he hadn't gotten to hold the boy much either Mary Margaret had that tight a grip on him.

She had just opened her mouth to ask Mary Margaret what was the matter or to sit down before she wore a hole in the carpet…when she winced.

"Rose?" Mary Margaret was on her in a split second of seeing it, "What's wrong?"

"I believe Robin and Regina are here," she muttered a moment before the door opened and the two walked into the room, Regina dressed far more casually than any of them had ever seen her, in black trousers and a vest with a grey shirt and her hair tied back.

Piper sighed, shifting Neal to hold him more firmly in one hand, rubbing her head with the other, only for Mary Margaret to pick him up securely in both her arms. The boy, thankfully, having been lulled to sleep a minute or two ago and sleeping so as not to start screaming again for which she was thankful. She had spoken to Gold about her headache earlier, the small one that had struck her when Robin and Marian had been outside with Regina at the diner. He'd seen her discomfort and brought it up to her. From what she knew, from what HE knew of Sirens, which was admittedly quite a bit more than she herself knew given his centuries of experience and volumes of information in his library, what she was hearing with Robin and Regina was the fact that their songs indicated the two were soulmates, a more perfect pairing than even True Loves, a more harmonious blending of songs. It was as though two songs merged into a more complete one.

With Marian around, as a True Love of Robin…if the stories of their 'epic love' was to be believed, her song was trying to harmonize with Robin's while his was still interwoven with Regina's and it was creating just a mess of music in her head. She wasn't entirely sure just how much True Love Robin and Marian could have had what with Roland displaying no magic that she knew of. From what she understood of True Love, it was rare, yet it created magic. And when true love created a child, the child had magic. Or a child had magic because the parent had magic, but neither Robin nor Marian had magic from what she knew. But that wasn't any of her business whether they had true love or not, all she cared was that she get used to their songs and quickly so that it wouldn't be quite so loud in her mind.

"How is she?" Robin called, leading Regina over.

"Not good," David sighed, "She's getting colder."

"Regina, thanks for coming," Mary Margaret smiled at her.

"Don't thank me till I've done some…thing…" Regina trailed off, spotting a painting on the wall of a bird where black and white dragonflies had been before, "Whose idea was that?"

"Oh, I thought I would put my own personal touch on the office," Mary Margaret told her.

"Well, you've succeeded. Hideously."

"And unless you would like a woman permanently frozen to your couch," Piper cut in, "Which I imagine would be quite a bit more hideous, perhaps we should focus on the forest maid?"

Robin shot her a look for calling his wife…ex-wife? Wife? The Forest Maid, but focused on Regina, "Is there anything you can do?"

Regina stepped closer to Marian, breathing out deeply, "This is strong magic. I…I can't stop it, but maybe I can slow it down?"

They all looked up when Emma, Elsa, and Hook came hurrying into the office, having heard from the town gossip that was Grumpy that someone had collapsed at the meeting, "What happened?" collapsed was certainly NOT the same as turning to ice though.

"Perhaps you should ask your new friend," Regina glanced at Elsa, "After all, it was her monster that attacked Marian."

"Well, to be fair, we did provoke the beast," Hook defended.

"But this isn't my magic," Elsa added, "Someone else did this."

"Oh, and we're supposed to trust you?" Regina scoffed.

"You can trust me," Emma cut in, "If she says it was someone else, it was."

"And you know this HOW Emma?" Piper gave her a look, "I do believe you implied, numerous times, that Elsa is the only one with magic like this."

"It doesn't matter who did it," Henry cut in, feeling the tension rise, "What does matter is how we break the spell."

"The only way to cure a freezing spell is an act of true love," Elsa offered.

Regina swallowed hard at that, "True love's kiss."

Every eye turned to Robin…every eye except Piper who was leaning back on the chair, her eyes closed, rubbing her temples, "Well, then there's no time to lose," he muttered, kneeling beside Marian and quickly pressing his lips to hers…but nothing happened, "What's wrong? Why isn't it working?"

"I've seen this once before, when Frederick was turned to gold," David frowned.

"Who the hell's Frederick?" Emma shook her head.

"Long story," Henry waved it off.

"Read the story," Piper added, knowing from having glimpsed it in the storybook that it was in there as well as having lived it. She'd watched the shepherd that was meant to be her cousin's true love in one of the Dark One's magic mirrors, wanting to see what he'd do about the wedding to Princess Abigail, whether he'd go through with it or fight for Snow White. She'd seen him, seen him deny Abigail, fight a Siren of the Lake, and free a golden statue of a man for the princess. It appeared though that Emma hadn't bothered to really read the book at all.

"So, the cold is acting as a barrier?" Robin shook his head, "Is there nothing we can do?"

"Well, every curse is different," Regina leaned in, trying to get a better look at Marian, "I need more time to study this one."

"I'm gonna go find who did this before it happens again," Emma turned to go.

"Well, I hope you bring backup," Regina muttered.

Emma stopped dead and turned back to her with a glare, "What the hell was that supposed to mean?"

Regina looked up at that, "Well, between the snow monster and the cave-in, seems like the Savior needs saving these days."

"I think you're bitter and you're taking it out on the wrong person."

"And I think the title of Savior has gone to your head," Piper added, getting a bit snappish herself as her headache grew worse, "Or has your excursion in the past not taught you that?" she looked around the room, "Truly I cannot be the ONLY one thinking this may be Magic's way of righting the imbalance that was caused in the past can I?"

"My wife is not an imbalance," Robin frowned, though his eyes flew to Regina as she winced at his words.

"She died in the past," Piper remarked bluntly, "She died then, Death will come for her here. Perhaps this is merely her time."

"I'm not going to give up on her," Robin shook his head, "My son can't lose his mother a second time!"

"Does he even remember losing her a first time?" Piper countered, though it wasn't lost on her that he'd mentioned Roland's loss and not his own, "I do not believe a woman that appeared only days ago disappearing will severely scar him. Tell me, does he even understand she is his mother or does he still look upon Regina with that title?"

The room fell silent at the harsh truth of her words. Those that had been there during the Missing Year, they remembered how close Regina and Roland had gotten despite how much she bickered with the boy's father. Roland had warmed up to her even more in Storybrooke after their memories came back. The boy would see a woman that had saved his life the first time she met him and then been there for him for an entire year as more a mother than a random woman he knew only from stories that appeared for a moment and started shouting at everyone around her.

"I'll find who did this, I'll get them to reverse it, I'll be fine," Emma stated, saving Robin from having to say anything, "I won't screw up again, ok?" she was starting to get really annoyed with Piper constantly bringing up the past and the price of Magic and everything, as though she didn't feel bad enough about it.

"Well," Hook tried to help, "I like that battle plan, so I'm with you, Swan."

"Like hell you are," Piper stood up, " _I_ shall go with Emma."

"Why?" Emma glared at her, "Think I'll mess this up too and save Hitler on accident?" she threw Piper's words back at her.

"Because if I do not leave this room now, my head will explode from the cacophony that two soulmates' songs being disrupted by another is causing in my head," Piper deadpanned.

"Soulmates?" Mary Margaret stared at Regina and Robin with wide eyes.

"Fine, whatever," Emma shook her head, not wanting to deal with this, not wanting to have yet another injury she'd done to Regina piled on top of her because, as if it wasn't bad enough that she'd caused Regina to lose her true love to his now-not-dead wife, now she was finding out she'd actually caused her to lose her soulmate and, just from the word, she could tell it was probably a bigger thing than just true love, "Piper you're with me, Hook you take Elsa to the sheriff's station. Keep her out of sight. Once people get word of this, they're gonna be calling for her head…"

"I'd rather save yours than hers," Hook told her.

Piper scoffed at that, " _Exactly_ what a _hero_ would say," she bit out, sarcasm heavy on her words, making Hook glare at her. But there was no lie in her words or implication. A hero, someone who was truly trying to do better, would accept that Elsa was in danger and try to save her, especially now that someone else was going to protect Emma. A villain would be more concerned with the object they valued most. If Hook were truly trying to be a good person, he would protect the one that needed protecting more, Elsa, not go with Emma when she was already protected.

She would do the exact same for Gold or her family, protect them over a stranger, but she never proclaimed to be trying to better herself or be good or turn over a new leaf. She was a villain, and she accepted that, Hook was lying to himself if he truly thought that he was moving in the right direction to becoming a man, a 'hero,' worthy of Emma.

"There's someone dangerous out there…" Hook tried to defend himself.

"And I have already said I will guard Emma," Piper countered, "With my life is implied. And I am quite certain her dear father, as deputy, would allow her to investigate without him, yes?" she looked at David.

"Uh, right," David nodded.

"Hook just go," Emma huffed, "I don't have time to argue with you about this so can you for once just do what I say?"

She didn't even wait to see what he would say before she turned and stormed out of the room, Piper and David after her.

~8~

A deep sigh of relief escaped Piper as she walked through the woods on Emma's right, David on her left, heading for the Merry Men's camp as per Emma's request. She felt much more at peace now that she was out of that room with Robin and Marian and Regina, she truly had no idea how three people could cause so much noise in her head to the point that she actually had to leave the room from the discomfort of it, but it happened. Now she was in the open, with the sound of nature around her, and just the familiar, faint music of the two beside her. It was better, much better.

She would have preferred to be around Gold however, his song was a greater comfort to her, but this would do for now.

"Robin and Marian's tent's up ahead," David remarked, "So…" he glanced at Emma, "What exactly are we looking for?"

"If whoever cursed Marian has the same powers as Elsa, maybe they left a trail," was all Emma said.

"So we split up and we look for anything cold?"

"Yeah."

"Well, shout if you need help, and I'll…"

"Ok," Emma cut in, "Yeah. I got it."

Piper watched as David moved over to start investigating some of the other tents, glancing at Emma, "If you think I am separating from you, you are as great a fool as your father."

Emma let out a deep breath at that, "Yeah, I figured," she muttered, "Come on, it's up here."

They drew nearer to the tent, when Piper reached out and stopped Emma, frowning at the tent, before putting a finger to her lips, she could hear a song coming from within the tent and, as far as she knew, given the horde they'd had to push through to get out of Town Hall, all the Merry Men had gathered at the Hall in support of their fallen Merry Woman…so who was in the tent?

Emma frowned, about to ask her why she'd stopped…when something clattered inside the tent. Emma tensed, pulling her gun from its holster and crept closer. She looked at Piper and nodded towards a thick tree just a few feet away, a meaningful look in her eyes. Piper gave a curt nod in response, moving to hide behind the tree, peering around it and watching as Emma moved before the tent's entrance.

"Whoever's in there, come out!" she ordered, waiting as a young man with short hair, dressed in black with a matching leather jacket stepped out, "Who the hell are you?" she eyed him, "What are you doing in that tent?"

"It depends who's asking," the boy replied with a thick accent.

"The sheriff's asking."

The boy grimaced at that, "I never did like sheriffs very much. Though you do seem like the decent sort, so I'm guessing you're not gonna shoot a man in the back."

And with that, he turned and took off…only for a shrill whistle to fill the air, making his muscles seize up instantly, driving him stumbling to the ground, rolling onto his back and frantically trying to cover his ears, the veins in his neck starting to buldge from the strain…

"Enough," Emma called and the whistle ceased.

"Bloody hell!" the boy gasped, "What was that?!"

Piper walked over to him, standing at his side and peering down her nose at him, "That would be me, hello," she gave a small wave in a wiggle of her fingers.

"You?" the boy seemed about to scoff at that.

"The Pied Piper," she gave a mocking bow, "At your service."

"Bloody hell…" the boy gaped at her, his eyes wide.

"Emma!" David called, rushing over, though he had one hand to his ear, clearly he had heard the whistle too, "What happ…who's this?" he nodded at the boy.

"And who are you?" the boy rolled his head to look upside down at David.

"He's the sheriff," Emma answered.

"I thought YOU were the sheriff," he looked at her.

"We have two," David responded.

He groaned, "Two sheriffs? Bloody hell. That's not even fair, is it? AND the Piper? What, are you trying to kill me?"

"Maybe if we knew who YOU were?" Emma crossed her arms and glared down at him.

The boy sighed, crossing his arms to mimic her though he remained on the ground, "My name's Will Scarlet. I used to be a Merry Man until me and Robin Hood had a bit of a falling out."

"So what are you doing in his tent?"

"Well, I heard what happened to Marian. Terrible thing. But I kind of know something that might help."

"And what would that be?" Piper eyed him, "Clearly it is not something that would benefit HIM or else you would be trying to deliver the message TO him instead of loot him."

"Ooh, you wound me," Will rolled his eyes, "I'm a thief. Always been a thief, always gonna be a thief. Means I'd loot my mother if I gots to," despite his words, none of them believed that last remark, "And when there's a blackout like the other night, do you know what a thief does?"

"He goes to work," Emma shrugged.

"Exactly. So, I'm working me way down main street when I break into the ice cream parlor and see the strangest thing. There'd been no electricity for _hours_ , but still all the ice cream was frozen solid. How does something like that happen do you reckon?"

Emma looked at David and Piper for that, though they all knew the answer.

Magic.

~8~

Mr. Gold hardly glanced up as the bell to his shop jingled, too focused on examining one of his trinkets under a microscope, "I must apologize, but I'm really rather busy today."

"And here I was hoping for a warm hello from the family man, Mr. Gold," Hook's voice rang out, putting Gold in a sour mood instantly.

"This is still a place of business," he muttered, "So unless you have something to offer me, I'm afraid I can be of no further help."

"Well, as it turns out, I do have something to offer you," Hook waited till Gold looked up at him, "My silence. See I know that you lied to Emma."

"Is that right?" he smirked.

"Mmm," Hook nodded, "I've hunted you a long time, my old crocodile, and I know you better than most. And I know how manipulative you can be, how you twist your words and deals. You found some way around Emma's power."

"Have I?" Gold seemed more amused by that now.

"And you dragged that bloody Piper into it too," Hook's eyes narrowed, "Emma would believe her over you any day."

The smirk that had appeared on Gold's face morphed into a dangerous glare, "That's a very dangerous insinuation."

"It's not an insinuation at all, mate."

Gold let out a small, smug laugh, "I think you're forgetting something, _mate_ ," he mocked, "Pip…is part Siren. Her family will _always_ come first. Unless they turn on her, she would kill ME to keep them safe."

He knew that was the truth, true love or not. It was…complicated, for Sirens, to have a love and have a family as well. It was especially complicated for Piper being that her family was literally on one side of the spectrum and he was on the other. Heroes and Villains, they were constantly at odds and Piper had been forced to walk a fine line to keep both at peace. Right now they were in a precarious balance, both sides were equally important to her.

Snow White was her blood family, as was Emma and Henry yet she hadn't been able to bond with them as she had with her cousin. And then there was HIM, her true love, who had known her as the Piper she was today and accepted her for what she was as much as for who she was.

They were balanced, in her heart, he could feel that beating in his chest, he could almost feel the phantom sensations of what she thought of both sides of them. But it was a strained feeling to maintain, having both sides at odds. He had made it easier on her, had promised her, made a deal with her that he would not endanger her family, that he would protect them, anything to see her happy and eased. And that meant more to her than she let on.

The Heroes had made no such promises to her, Snow White might have, but not her Charming prince, not her daughter, Henry wouldn't even think of harming him. But the heroes hadn't sworn to her like he had that they would not cause him harm.

One wrong move, one lie, one foul intent…and Piper's Siren-half would react. If he betrayed her, in any way, her Siren side would be hardened against him, her heart closed off to him. She would kill him without a moment's hesitation to protect her family. The only reason it hadn't happened with Zelena was the fact that the witch had been controlling him, that he had been trying to thwart her at every turn as much as he could. Luckily he had no intentions to do anything of the sort of his own free will. But equally, if the heroes betrayed her, if they turned on her, attacked her, she would be hardened to them, family or not, and turn against them as easily as the winds could turn in a tempest.

And the amusing part, to him at least, was that the heroes had no idea at all. He doubted even Snow White had considered the possibility that her own cousin could become her bitter enemy. They didn't consider that, heroes never did. Well, neither did villains for the most part, but he was old and he was careful and he thought things out.

Not that it actually mattered, he had no plan to ever break Piper's heart, true love was rare enough, a woman like Piper, that would be more likely to commend him than reprimand him for his ways and for who he was, they were even rarer. She was the one treasure, besides his son, that he never wanted to lose and so he would never allow himself to go down a path that would hurt her in the end.

Hook actually frowned at his words though, making the smirk reappear, it appeared the captain hadn't thought of that little problem.

"And so," he leaned back, "Piper would not tell Emma anything that would endanger her. No lie was told."

And even that was the truth, he hadn't lied at all. Twisted the truth, but not lied.

"Well then," Hook tried another gamble, "Since you care SO much about the fish's family…" he gasped as he was slammed back into a pole behind him, sending the items that were hanging on it to the ground, clutching at his throat as Gold curled his hand into a fist.

"Call her that again," he threatened, releasing Hook to drop to his knees, gasping for air.

"Please," Elsa called, having been lurking in the back of the shop, hurrying over when Hook was thrown back by the Dark One's magic, "We're trying to keep Emma safe."

"Yes," Hook pointed at Elsa, "And since you care _so much_ for your beloved Pip's family," the sarcasm seemed to make his accent thicker, "You'll help us find the person Emma's tracking before Emma does."

Gold looked between the two before he held out his hand.

Elsa stepped forward, a thick clipping of white hair in her hand, "This hair is from Marian. Someone cast a freezing curse on her. We need to know who it is."

"Well you're in luck," he muttered, "Magic can change forms, but never be destroyed. We'll simply return it to its natural state," he waved his hand over the hair, turning it into soft white flurries.

"Snowflakes," Elsa breathed.

Gold nodded slowly, feeling something familiar in that particular magic, "Magic similar to yours, dearie, though not quite the same. Much like a snowflake, each person's magic is unique."

"Poetic," Hook deadpanned, "How does that help us?"

"Well, magic seeks out like-magic," Gold remarked, "So if I set this free…" he lifted his hand and blew gently, sending the snowflakes drifting off, "It should find its way home, back to the person who cast it."

He waited, watching as Hook and Elsa quickly left the shop, following the flurries, before he grinned, his suspicions, ones that he'd had since the icewall refused to come down, now confirmed. He knew exactly who had caused the wall, and likely the freezing curse on the forest maid, and if he was right, which he was sure he was…then a rather large deal was upon him.

~8~

Emma cupped her hands on either side of her eyes as she peered into the ice cream shop that Will had been talking about, but it didn't look like there was anything out of the ordinary, "I don't know. Looks pretty normal to me."

"In a town where magic runs rampant, Emma, what things appear to be is hardly ever what they actually are," Piper reminded her. If the ice cream had been frozen even during the blackout then some form of magic had been used, which could open up possibilities for other magics as well.

"It was bleeding cold in there," Will defended, "I'm telling you."

"Because they sell ice cream," Emma turned to face him.

"During the blackout."

"Says the guy who's trying to avoid jail."

"I may be a thief, but I'm no liar and I can bloody well prove it," Will pushed past Emma and knelt down before the door, pulling out a lock pick.

"Really?" David scoffed, "You think breaking in again is gonna help your case?"

"Can you just be quiet a second, mate? I'm just trying to do this. Takes concentration. Bit tricky. It's all about…"

"Yeah, the tumblers," Emma rolled her eyes and nudged him aside, "I got it."

David blinked at that as Emma took the pick from Will, "You do?"

"Neal taught me a few things," she sighed, managing to get the lock undone and standing.

"Bit boring of a method," Piper remarked as Emma pushed the door open, the bells above them jingling.

"And how would you have handled it?" David gave her a look, "Shattered the glass with your music."

"Perhaps," Piper shrugged, "There IS something ever so enjoyable in the sound of shattered glass," she glanced around, "Though this is quite odd…"

"What is?" he glanced around, but still there was nothing out of place, "It doesn't look like…"

"If you were silent, you would hear how wrong this is," Piper cut in.

Emma held up a hand to stop David talking, frowning as she took Piper's remark to heart and listened, "It's quiet," Emma realized, "No compressor hum means no cooling system, and yet it's still freezing in here," she glanced at Will, "Smartass here was telling the truth. Something's not right here."

"Check the back," Will nodded towards a door in the back, "You'll see how right I am."

Emma and David glanced at each other before heading for the door, Emma pausing to give Piper a meaningful look and a nod to Will before they disappeared through it.

Piper turned just outside the door, her arms crossed as she eyed Will, the man seeming very unhappy with the fact that she was guarding him.

"By all means," she gestured him on, "Go about your business."

"What?" he blinked.

She just nodded at the cash register.

"Hold on…you're actually telling me to rob this place?" Will hesitated, "Is this a trick?"

"You are a distraction to my niece," Piper elaborated, "The sooner you leave, the sooner she can focus on what she began investigating."

She knew Emma would be irritated if she ended up going back to Regina and telling her that she found really nothing that would help all save an ice cream shop because she'd gotten distracted by arresting Will. Emma would want to track down the person who owned the shop, if Will's allegations that ice magic was used here proved true, but she knew Emma would also want to ensure Will was taken to the jail for stealing and it would cause the trail to run cold.

"So do what you must, and leave."

Will stared at her a moment, till she gestured to the register once more. He took a step towards it, still watching her, but when she did nothing, he ran to it, and pried it open, grabbing the cash inside and racing out the door.

Emma and David ran back out within seconds of hearing the bells jingle, "What the hell!?" Emma turned to Piper, "He's gone?!"

"I gave him leave to depart," Piper shrugged.

"And he stole from here," Emma huffed, making for the door to go after Will.

"And here I was of the belief that you wished to find the one that was draining Marian's life," Piper called, making Emma stop, "Or have you finally subscribed to my belief that this is Magic's way of restoring the balance?" Emma turned to her, frowning, "If you wish to use Will as an excuse to let the forest maid die I have no qualms about it, I would merely wish to know."

It was…another reason she'd let Will go. Without him there, he WOULD be less of a distraction for Emma, she would focus on her mission again as she knew Emma was determined to do. But, equally, in the small chance that Emma had truly come around and realized that Marian needed to die…well…Will being on the loose would give her the excuse to let it happen, she'd be chasing down Will while Marian slowly faded.

It was up to Emma what that choice would be.

"We're not letting anyone die," David, unfortunately, didn't see it like that, and stepped up to his daughter's side, "Will isn't the most important thing right now," he looked at Emma, "You can book him on petty theft later, right now, we need to help Marian."

Piper rolled her eyes at the man, he was so blind to the consequences of his daughter's actions it was almost remarkable that his kingdom had remained standing with his inability to take responsibility for actions or let his daughter take responsibility for hers.

"Will I even be able to find him later?" Emma shook her head, her mind so muddled and conflicting, "If I let him go now…"

David frowned at that, "What's going on? Emma, I'm your father. Talk to me."

Emma sighed, "It's just…everything, it's what everyone's saying, Regina, even you Piper," she glanced at her, "You're right, you're both right, it's like I can't save a cat from a tree right now. And every time I try to save someone, I just destroy someone else in the process. It's like I'm the anti-savior."

Piper let out a soft breath at that, Emma was at least admitting partially that she'd done the wrong thing in saving Marian, but she still wasn't sorry for it. She still wasn't realizing the magnitude of what she'd done. She hadn't just destroyed Regina's life in saving the woman, she'd disrupted Magic and Time and Death itself, and she still saw it so black and white. Which was a truly deplorable heroic trait she would have to help Emma understand would get her killed one day.

"You're being a little hard on yourself," David told Emma…only after throwing a glare at Piper for upsetting his daughter, "We all have bad days."

"Well, I'm having a run of them."

"I know. But you can't lose faith in yourself. Trust me."

"Emma," Piper sighed, moving over to her, "I do not agree with your decisions in the past, with regards to Marian, I find them dangerous and completely stupid," she said bluntly, making Emma wince, "But even I can attest to the fact that you are very much still the Savior. I doubt you would have been able to SAVE Marian if you were not, in fact, the Savior."

Emma let out a breath, about to say something more…when her phone rang. She turned away from them and pulled it out, looking at the voicemail she'd just gotten and playing it in her ear. David and Piper watched as she tensed, listening to the message, before quickly turning to them, "We have to go, now," she ran for the door, "Hook and Elsa are in the woods, they found the woman who did this."

~8~

Piper and David ran after Emma as she charged through the woods, heading for the location Hook had told her to go in his message, the two of them trailing behind as the blonde ahead of them ran at full speed.

They could see something in the distance, Elsa and Hook, with another woman, a blonde woman that Emma and David recognized as the ice cream shop owner standing before them, though the woman was now dressed in a long white gown. The closer they got the more they could see of what was happening, Elsa was frantic about something…and then they realized what. Hook was standing under a set of ice shards that were dangling above him, his feet trapped in ice holding him in place.

"No!" Elsa screamed, right as the other blonde lifted a hand to the ice shards, ready to let them impale Hook.

"Hey!" Emma cried, stopping her, "Dairy queen!"

The woman looked over, her eyes wide as she saw who had disrupted her, "Emma?" she breathed.

Emma tensed at the tone of her voice, like she was shocked and couldn't believe her eyes, "Do we know each other?"

The woman blinked at that, swallowing hard as she stepped back, "Of course not," Emma's eyes narrowed at that, feeling the lie in the woman's words, "Your reputation precedes you," she eyed Emma as David ran up to them, reaching them while Piper was still hurrying for them, the man coming to his daughter's side, "You really think that your magic is a match for mine?"

"There's only one way to find out," Emma glared and threw her hands forward, trying to focus her magic…and managed to send the woman flying backwards to the ground a few feet away.

David put a hand on her shoulder before dashing past to Hook's side, using a small knife to try and chip away at the ice. But it was too small and the ice was too solid.

The woman sat up on the ground, glaring, and threw her hand out at the ice shards, causing them to start to crack.

"No…" Hook breathed…when suddenly he and David were thrown to the side by Emma's magic just as the shards fell.

"You guys ok?" Emma called a moment later.

"Yeah, we're fine," David grunted.

"Where is she?" Piper reached them, panting, her hand resting on her stomach as she tried to get her breath, not entirely sure why she'd been so winded just running, "That woman?"

Emma looked around, her eyes wide as she realized that the other woman had disappeared, "She's gone," she hurried past Hook and David to the place she'd last seen the woman standing, "No sign of her," she sighed, "Not even tracks."

"She must have magic enough to transport herself then," Piper offered.

David pushed himself up and went over to his daughter, seeing her hands clenching into fists with her back to them, "What is it?" he asked her quietly, glancing back to see Hook checking on Elsa and Piper making her way over, "You ok?" but Emma was silent, "Hey, we're gonna find her. Don't let what anyone says shake your confidence."

"It's not that," Emma muttered, "It's this…Snow Queen," she offered, not knowing what to call her, "It's like she didn't just know Elsa. She knew me, too."

"You are the sheriff," Piper remarked, joining them, "And the product of true love, the Savior, the daughter of Snow White, a princess…" she eyed Emma, "It is quite a set of titles to have. I doubt anyone in this down does not know you by now, Emma."

"There's something more," Emma shook her head, "It's like, when she said my name, I…I…I don't know. It sounded familiar."

"Well, we'll figure it out," David nodded, "But today you did good. You stopped her. It was a pretty impressive show, sheriff."

"That it was," Hook spoke, joining them, "But perhaps we should keep searching, find the villain's lair, as it were."

"So you can almost get yourself killed again?" Emma shook her head, "That's exactly why I told you to go to the sheriff's station."

Hook glared at Piper as the woman smirked at Emma's tone and snappish words towards the man, "Don't look so smug," he muttered to her as David walked off and Emma moved to check on Elsa.

"Why should I not?" Piper inquired, "I may tell Emma that you are not trustworthy, but you do a much better job proving it."

Hook's jaw tensed at that, knowing he had no response to that, Emma had told him to go to the jail, he'd ignored her, let her think he was listening, and then disobeyed her request. She trusted him to do as she said, and he hadn't.

"One day I will prove myself to you," he stated instead, knowing it would be the only way to be with Emma without the woman constantly trying to get between them and keep him away from Emma, "I will earn your trust and your blessing to be with Emma."

Piper nearly snorted at that, "A deal not even the Dark One would be able to help you with."

And with that, she turned and walked away, as far as she was concerned, the pirate would never be good enough for her niece.

~8~

Late that night would find one Mr. Gold sitting on a large rock in the woods, waiting in silence for his prey. He did not have to wait long for the 'Snow Queen' as Emma had dubbed her to walk past him. Nor did it take long for her to realize he was behind her and spin around with a gasp.

"Don't worry, dearie," he smirked, "It's only me. Sorry things didn't work out the way you wanted."

"They will," she said softly.

Gold considered her for a moment, "We shall see. And, uh did Miss Swan remember you?"

The woman's lips pursed, "No."

"That's good for you. Because it could happen. And you wouldn't want that, now, would you?" he eyed her, grinning as he stood up and stepped over to her, "Are you sure you don't want my help?"

"When I'm ready to make a deal, I'll come to you."

Gold chuckled at that, "A moment I eagerly await. Now," he glanced around, "You should find some shelter. It's getting quite _frosty_."

He walked backwards a few steps, before turning and disappearing through the treeline, smiling when he saw Piper standing there, the woman having listened to everything he'd said. He had been truthful to Hook, he would not lie to her, he would not betray her, he would always keep her in the know of his plans. She was his partner, in far more ways than one.

Piper smirked as they turned to walk off, "Was that last comment for my benefit?" she inquired, thinking of how she'd used the title of 'Frosty' to describe her cousin when she'd first met him.

Gold just wound his arm around her waist, "Perhaps."

"We must be cautious, Rummy," she added after a moment, "If she attempts anything else with Emma before you've made your deal with her…"

"She won't," he promised, "And…if she does," he sighed, "You've my leave to kill her before the deal can be struck."

Piper actually smiled at that, leaning on him as they went, reassured in his promise. From what he had told her, the deal could be one of the more important ones he'd ever made, the fact that he would stand aside and allow her to deal with the Snow Queen if she should target Emma again meant much to her. It was another reassurance that their bond was strong, that they still valued each other, that he had been truly telling the truth in saying he cared about her and her family. If he was willing to give up that deal for her…she couldn't think of any other proof anyone would need to know that he did truly love her.

"Good."

A/N: Hmm...still something a little off about Snow in terms of Piper and letting her hold Neal, odd considering how easily she gave Neal to her at the diner...I wonder what's changed... }:)

Some notes on reviews...

Oh the Shattered Sight Spell...I'm very much looking forward to that part of the story }:D

Could you point out where in the story I identified August as the Author? I might just be getting it confused with my Lyssa story but I feel like I've only made him author in the sense that he added a story or two to the book not that he wrote the book himself, I feel like I remember saying he was 'an author' in All That Glitters not 'the author' but I could be wrong or I might have made a typo that needs to be fixed :) It'll depend, when August returns, whether Piper actually knows what Regina's doing or if August would give her the page knowing that Gold is lurking ;) Though I can say that Piper and Ursula will have butting heads at times ;) But aww, don't pity me, I actually had a lot of fun writing the second half of Season 4, I've got it all worked out and I hope it'll flow smoothly ;)

Piper's definitely reached a snapping point of not wanting to associate with humans and just give herself over to her Siren side :( We'll actually see a very deep flashback coming where we'll see her make that conscious decision to stop fighting the Siren in her :'( But thank you! I went back and fixed it :) Yup, now that we know how Snow actually found out she was pregnant, I'll be tweaking just a small part of that chapter to fit, nothing major though ;) I agree, I feel like the writers let a lot of relationships sort of fall off the radar at times :( Like where did Neal go? I feel like he completely disappeared in the second half of Season 4, which was odd to me :/ And that's awesome about the dolls! From what I understand, my tumblr has a 'Submit' tab on the main page and you can select 'Photo' from a drop down menu and upload the picture. It might require an email address if you don't have a tumblr account, but I make sure that the personal emails don't show up for privacy reasons, just the name that is submitted with them :)

I can say Mary isn't Merida no :( I'm actually trying to stay away from bringing Merida into the story at the moment. As much as I absolutely hate a certain plotline from Season 4 (spoilers ahead) I can't help but think that Merida will end up being Robin and Zelena's child. With the red hair (Zelena) and archery (Robin) :( I didn't want to put her in and risk their child actually BEING Merida in the show. I really, really do not want that to happen in the show at all, I really am very uncomfortable with that plot the writers put in, but I just wanted to be careful for the moment ;)


	6. Masquerades

Masquerades

Piper hummed lightly to herself as she sat at the table in the main hall of the Dark Castle, her feet up on the table, sharpening a set of knives on a whetstone, though only half the knives were to be sharpened. It seemed the Dark One had taken her remarks that a blunt knife caused the most prolonged suffering to heart, he now wanted a range of different knives of varying sharpness at his disposal. She was all too happy to oblige his request.

It…was oddly touching, that he was allowing her to sharpen the blades. Most men would hardly dare let someone that was 'captive' in their home near anything they could use as a weapon against them. But this was the Dark One, this was her Rummy, and, despite her voice and magic that could be used as a weapon whenever she pleased further emphasizing the point that she remained there of her own free will, he had already given her the most dangerous weapon possible. His Dagger. He had given her the Dagger of the Dark One, the blade the controlled his magic, that could be used to control him as well. Her magic would be enough to sway him to do things if she wished, but the dagger offered her unparalleled control over him, complete control. With it she could order him to do anything at all, even squawk like a chicken and he would be compelled to do it.

She held the most powerful weapon pressed against her leg, in her boot.

And she would never ever use it.

As far as weapons went, it was more a shackle on him than anything and she had given her word that she would never, EVER use it to control him. Even if HE had been the one to beg her to use the dagger, he would have to make a very strong case for her to be brought to the point of using it against him. Not ever would she use that method to force his hand, not ever. Her music though…she smirked at that, he had, a time or two, requested she use her magic on him, so that he could understand it better.

That was something hardly anyone ever asked, for her to actually use her magic on them. There had been once or twice in the past that she'd had to use it on her cousin, Snow White, to calm her down or ease her worries, especially after she had lost her mother, she would help the girl sleep at night, hum a gentle lullaby for her. But beyond that, Snow White had never asked for her to use her magic on her, nor had she thought to do such a thing.

She truly hadn't thought to use her music to control people till after her kingdom had fallen. Her father had impressed upon her the responsibility that came with magic like hers, how she must be wise in how she used it, considerate, understanding of others. She didn't care anymore, about anyone save her cousin and her true love. Beyond that, she would use her magic as she saw fit, against anyone she needed to to any end. The Dark One though…he had been interesting, he'd experienced a range of emotion and manipulation while under the spells of her songs, always short lived, never anything too traumatic to do, some even rather…pleasurable for them both.

She smirked wider at that thought, setting down one of the knives and picking up the next one, working on sharpening that, her thoughts drifting back to the task at hand with the motion. Many would see her as a captive, would wonder why she held these knives in her hand and didn't use them to attack the Dark One and escape. They would be fools to try such a thing, he was impervious to all manner of weaponry save his dagger, he could only be killed by that blade and that blade alone.

And she wouldn't use it like that, why would she? Why kill her true love?

Her smirk morphed into a more gentle smile at that thought, her true love. SHE had a true love, the Pied Piper. When she had been younger, more innocent, when she and Snow White would talk about the future, she could admit there was a small part of her that wondered what her true love would be like. It was a part of her that died when she cast off the title of Rose Red and became the Piper. There was no one, she thought, she believed, that could love her as she was, and then…there was the Dark One.

And he did.

Somehow, beyond all reason, he loved her.

She tilted her head, her green eyes sparkling as she took in the sharp edge of the blade, reaching out to touch it gently to test the edge of it, and didn't even flinch as it drew blood, cutting her finger.

She had hardly a moment to even really react, to pull her hand back and put her finger in her mouth or tear a small scrap off her shirt to bind it when someone else took her hand in theirs, hands that had what looked like sparkling skin made up of the smallest of scales. Her gaze drifted up as her hand was lifted to the lips of the Dark One himself, the man pressing a gentle kiss to her finger, his magic brushing across his lips to her finger, healing her skin instantly.

"Rummy," she smiled at him.

"Pip," he returned her grin, shifting to sit on the table, automatically moving her feet to have more room but instead of shoving them off the table, he merely placed them on his lap, "I…have a proposition for you, dearie," he giggled.

"And what does this proposition entail?" she asked.

"Be my escort for the night."

"Where would you, of all people, require an escort?"

"I thought I'd pop in and see how Belle's father, the king, is doing with his kingdom now that the ogres have been dealt with," he stated, a dangerous grin coming to his face, "I think it's high time I remind him that his debt to me is still, technically, unpaid."

Piper shook her head at that, thinking back to the Princess Belle, having met the girl only briefly when she came to the castle to offer her services as caretaker in place of the Princess. She didn't like the girl, looking back on that encounter, on what she knew of the woman's feelings for Rumpelstiltskin…she was even less favorable of her now.

"Will the princess be there?"

"Hmm, I haven't the faintest," Rumpelstiltskin shrugged, genuinely not caring, "I go for her father regardless."

Piper considered it a moment, "Do you require my help to sway him?"

"Nope."

"To…draw a truth from him?"

"Nuh-uh," he shook his head.

"To make him scream?"

"Possibly," he considered it, "Depending how the night goes."

Piper's eyes narrowed only slightly, more in confusion than suspicion, "I am not certain I understand my role or necessity in this deal."

"It's not quite a deal, dearie," he remarked, "It's more a debt collection," his smile almost seemed to slip for a moment before a forced one took its place, "One I should be able to handle fairly well on my own if you don't wish to go…"

"I never said I wished not to join you," she cut in, "I merely wish to know more about what shall be expected of me."

"Nothing at all Pip," he assured her, "Just be your stunning self, that's all I require."

Piper still wasn't sure what the point of her going would be then if she was to do nothing at all, but she gave a small nod, agreeing to go nonetheless.

Rumpelstiltskin giggled happily at that, clapping his hands in an excited fashion.

~8~

Piper took a deep breath as she walked down a regally styled hall with the Dark One. He could have just magiced them inside, cause a commotion by appearing in a swirl of his favored red smoke, but he was choosing a different grand entrance this time. She was…nervous. She would admit, just the tiniest bit, not for the reason most would guess.

She wasn't nervous to be there with the Dark One, on his arm, or even the reaction of the others. She wasn't nervous that she would muck up his grand plan as he had said there was nothing that she need do while there. She wasn't even nervous to be around so many other royals either, Rumpelstiltskin had sworn to her that he had used his magic, enchanted her image, to appear different to others. She looked very much like she had when the Evil Queen had visited after Belle departed, had run into the timid red-haired new caretaker. They both doubted the Queen would be there, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

She wasn't nervous about all of that.

She was nervous about her gown.

Of all the silly things in the world to fret over, she was shifting in discomfort because of a dress.

It was a lovely dress, Rumpelstiltskin had magiced it himself…and stared at her for quite a long while with such inordinate appreciation in his eyes that she had actually flushed scarlet when his eyes met hers afterwards. It was forest green, something that complimented the red hair others would see, but that she knew matched her eyes and that was the reason he'd selected that color. It was strapless, corseted on the top, flowing at the waist, with the most intricate embroidery she'd ever seen along the hemline. There were small swirls that, only when looked at closely, did one realize they were flowers, roses to be exact, and the leaves, the leaves of the roses, when turned on another angle were music notes. It was exquisite and impeccably tailored and…regal.

It was the sort of dress that a queen would wear, so much so that she could almost feel the weight of a non-existent crown upon her head.

She was walking straighter because of it, all those years of lessons drilled into her by her mother and Aunt Eva and her father and Uncle and tutors and Snow and…everyone, everyone with so many expectations of her. When she'd been growing, every year it got easier to wear the gowns and parade around as the smiling princess. Every year she cared less and less whether the visitors and guests thought her smile was fake or not, whether they saw the coldness growing in her eyes. She'd attend, put on airs, and that would be it.

But that was Rose Red.

And she was not her any longer.

The gown felt off on her, it felt foreign, walking the way she was…even though she was naturally poised and with her chin in the air, it felt different now. She couldn't help but think back to her life as a princess, walking towards the grand hall for a ball. And this was…this was so much like it that she couldn't seem to reconcile what she was supposed to do, who she was supposed to be. Did she play the role of Rose Red? Blend in with the other royals? Did she stand out as the Piper? Remain cold and closed off?

She hardly had a moment to question anything when the doors were thrown open. Rumpelstiltskin flicked his wrist, adding their names to a list of attendants, which was called off only seconds later.

"The…" the announcer faulted, his eyes wide as he gaped at the name written on his parchment, but cleared his throat when he saw the look Rumpelstiltskin was giving him, "The Most Dark of Sorcerers," he called out, "Rumpelstiltskin," the room went silent, and, of course, that had to be when he continued, "And his…lovely Caretaker, er…" he frowned, but kept silent as he saw no other name listed there to read.

Rumpelstiltskin just giggled, "Hello dears," he greeted the crowd as they looked up at him, "So glad I could make it," he looked over at the King, standing there with wide eyes, "Seems the royal scribes forgot to send out my invitation to this…lovely event," he sneered.

Piper glanced over at that, not at all perturbed (actually quite grateful) that no name had been given for her. Now that she and the Dark One had become…more than business partners, they had agreed to try and keep her appearances to deal-only situations, at least as the Piper. All other times she adopted the red haired appearance, the last thing they needed was for anyone to discover Rumpelstiltskin had a true love, or that he was hers, the implications, the dangers and threats to each other if the wrong person found out…it could be disastrous. But that wasn't why she'd looked over, no, it was the fact that this wasn't just dropping in to see the king, this was an event going on, with half the kingdom in attendance along with some other royals though she didn't see Snow or Prince there which was a blessing. And then she noticed Belle was standing beside her father, another man, with rather mousy brown curly hair and a large nose and equally large gut beside her, his hand on the small of her back, freckles scattered across his face…or perhaps they were pimples, she couldn't tell from that distance.

She doubted it was a birthday celebration, it did not seem the sort of event that would be hosted like this…but more…a betrothal announcement.

It made sense, from what she knew, Belle's prior fiancé had been turned into a rose and left to wilt and die. It appeared the king was trying to secure another ally and use his daughter to do so. She almost pitied the girl, the man beside her was…well, she imagined he was rather lacking in quite a few areas, especially self-control if he had a gut like he did already while being so young. Almost pitied her, but not quite.

She turned and walked down the steps with Rumpelstiltskin, the man smirking and giggling at the partygoers, "Oh, I'm sorry, have I introduced my new caretaker?" he gestured to Piper.

"How do you do?" she put on the same timid airs as for the Queen, curtsying to the king and biting her tongue not to say anything else when Belle gave her a confused look for a moment, before smiling at her, glancing between her and Rumpelstiltskin as though in relief.

"Don't mind us," Rumpelstiltskin waved them on, "Play on, play on," he snapped his fingers and the instruments that a small band of musicians were holding started to play themselves, "I only came to settle a debt," he grinned at the king dangerously.

~8~

When Rumpelstiltskin had said that there was nothing he expected of her to do for the night, Piper hadn't quite thought he was being entirely literal about it. But the moment he'd mentioned an unsettled debt, the King had quickly hurried the imp out of the room to discuss the payment or what was expected. Well, he hadn't hurried Rumpelstiltskin out of the room, more like requested, as it was a special night for his daughter, to have the conversation in private. Rumpelstiltskin seemed to be in a rather good mood and agreed, though Piper was oddly suspicious it was because of her that he was in a good mood. He looked at her, standing beside him, and it was as though just the sight of her in her gown and being there with him had made him more agreeable.

So it was likely a good thing he'd gone with the King alone lest he get too agreeable and settle for less than he wished in terms of the debt.

She supposed she should appreciate how they had entered after all, to see them both appear together, walk down the stairs, to have her stand beside the Dark One…no one sought her out after that. If they'd just appeared, some might assume she'd been captured or taken there against her will, but to walk in with him gave the impression she was there willingly, which she was, and so most stayed away from her. A servant or two dared to come to her and offer her a refreshment of wine or slices of meat, but she turned them down, taking only the goblet of wine so as to have something to do with her hands lest she grab her pipe and reveal herself.

She stood closer to the musicians, now playing their instruments on their own after the nudge from Rumpelstiltskin to begin playing, paying particular attention to the pipe player and harp player, listening intently to the songs in general, hoping for some new tune to amuse her, but they were all such old rhythms that she found herself bored far too quickly.

Her expression must have shown as much for Belle made her way over to her, a small smile on her face.

Piper took a deep breath and forced herself to curtsy, "Princess."

Belle gave a half-nod, half-curtsy in response, "I hope you don't mind my asking," she began, "But…you're the Dark One's new caretaker?"

"I am," she nodded, trying to keep her answers short but also polite…as much as that last part killed her.

"I thought…" Belle chuckled a bit, "It's silly of me but…when I was Rumple's caretaker, it seemed like a blonde woman was set to replace me."

"Was she?"

"Yes," Belle nodded, "Did she take her leave of the Dark Castle?"

"I am afraid I do not know, my Lady," she answered, "When I was selected for the position, there was no one in the castle but me."

"Oh," Belle murmured, looking down before back up to her, "You must think I'm silly, asking about caretakers and whatnot," she shrugged, "It's just…I was caretaker there."

"As you said," Piper only barely managed to keep that answer a degree shy of rude.

"I don't know what it was," Belle murmured in thought, "But…there was something about it, about being there, being around the great and terrible Dark One," Piper's lips pursed slightly at how Belle sounded more amused than reverent of the title, as though she didn't think him dark at all, "Getting to know him, the real him, the one beneath the curse…" she sighed, "I would have liked to stay there."

Piper's lips were nearly paper thin with how pressed together they were at Belle's words. Getting to know the him beneath the curse? Belle clearly did not understand anything about the Dark One at all if she truly believed the man she had lived among was not the man Rumpelstiltskin was. She knew he hadn't always been the Dark One, he had told her of his life before he'd taken the Dark One's powers for himself. It was over 300 years ago.

300 years was more than enough time to change, to become a new person.

And that man he was now, it was WHO he was. It was who and what he was, it was both, HE was both, he was Rumpelstiltskin and the Dark One, they were the same now…and Belle was treating it like there was a man hiding under the darkness fighting to push against it when really, it was a man who had taken the darkness in and become one with it.

But she forced her expression into a small smile when Belle looked at her, "Why did you leave?" she asked instead, curious to see what story Belle would spin, what tale she'd likely told everyone else.

Belle sighed, "The blonde woman, she showed up, convinced Rumple that I was trying to trick him, deceive him, shouted that I didn't truly love him even though my kiss was breaking his curse. He threw me out," she frowned at that, "I wandered a little, to a tavern, met a prince turned Yaoguai," she chuckled at the memory, "And…made my way back here," she glanced around, "A home I never thought I'd see again. A home I left to protect. And now I'm back, all because the Dark One chose his curse over letting me free him from it. I just don't understand," she looked at Piper, "It was actually working, you know, my kiss, it was breaking the curse…"

"Because you loved him."

"Yes."

"Did he love you?"

"That's usually how true love's kiss works," Belle gave a little laugh.

No, it wasn't actually. Love came in many forms, platonic, familial, unrequited even. You could truly love someone and have them not love you back. It didn't make the love meaningless in terms of the magic it could create. She was sure that there could be someone out there that loved another who did not return their feelings yet they'd still be able to manage light magic if it meant saving the person that felt nothing for them.

Just because Belle's kiss worked on Rumpelstiltskin, did not mean that Rumpelstiltskin's kiss would have worked on Belle. And just because it started to work didn't mean it really would have. Belle felt she truly loved Rumpelstiltskin, she loved something about him, whether it was the idea of saving him as she had said herself or whatever it might be, Belle did love something in him, she could admit that. But, again, there were many types of love, many ways to truly love someone, not all of them could be healthy or good though. Belle loved the idea of the Dark One, of 'redeeming' him, she loved who she thought the man 'beneath' the curse was, and it was enough to start to break the curse. But she had her doubts it would have actually worked as completely as Belle seemed to think. Belle could not truly love Rumpelstiltskin if she did not accept all of him, a very wise princess had told her that once and she believed it with her whole heart. The kiss would not have completely worked, it would start to, then likely retract, the fact that the Dark One was still the Dark One meant something. It had nothing to do with Rumpelstiltskin pulling again, that wasn't what kept the curse from breaking. Once true love's kiss had been given, it was an instant reversal to a curse, not slow acting. If it began to change him but ceased, that spoke volumes about how true the love was if it did not instantly change him back nor even finish the task.

But she couldn't say that without it sounding too suspicious so she racked her brain for something to say to her to keep the conversation from venturing down a path of questions she didn't want to answer…when, luckily (or unluckily depending on what would happen next), the king stepped into the room again, giving his people a smile and a light nod, as though telling them all was well, causing cheers and claps to erupt around them.

The man made his way over to his daughter, sighing in relief and pressed a kiss to her temple.

"Father?" Belle looked at him with wide eyes.

"All is well, my daughter," he smiled, though he glanced at Piper, "My lady," he held out a hand to her, "Might I humbly request a dance?"

Piper blinked at that, her eyes shooting up and glancing around the room for Rumpelstiltskin a moment before she hesitantly accepted, seeing him nowhere to help ward off the king before he led her onto the dance floor.

She was almost wishing that she'd stayed and talked with Belle longer when she heard the king whispering to her a minute later, while the song of the minstrels grew louder.

"Do you need help?" he spoke softly to her, having to lean in uncomfortably close for her to hear him.

"I beg your pardon?" she blinked.

The king glanced around and back to her, his eyes soft and almost pleading, "Is the Dark One holding you captive? Like he did my Belle? Has he…has he harmed you? Threatened you? Please," he spoke quickly, "You must tell me."

"I do not understand…"

"I can help you escape," the king informed her, "I can…I can help you be free of him."

"Free of him," she repeated.

"Yes," he breathed, "He is…a dangerous man. Dark, twisted, corruptive," he glanced at Belle who appeared trying to smile and dance with her new fiancé but was not having a good time of it, "He'll turn even the kindest of hearts into a monster…"

"I see," Piper nodded slowly, "Unfortunately I must decline."

The king's gaze snapped up to her so quickly at her calm tone she would have thought he'd injured himself, "What…" he gape at her, shaking his head, "Did you not hear me? He's…"

"I heard you perfectly well," she cut in, no longer able to keep up her masquerade of the timid maid, not when the man was speaking of her true love, trying to lure her away from him, she would not have it, "He is dangerous, dark, twisted, corruptive, and will turn me into a monster."

"And yet you refuse to leave his service?"

She nearly snorted, "It would hardly make sense to do so when I am already equally as dangerous as he is, just as dark and twisted and corruptive, perhaps even more corruptive, and if you think I am not as much a monster as he is, well," she smirked, "You should get out of your palace a bit more and find out exactly who the Dark One employs to see his deals done."

She could see it though, the moment he realized exactly who he was talking to, that she was no more a caretaker than he was a knight, but instead that she was the Pied Piper that people whispered worked with the Dark One now.

"I have turned men, women, and children alike into monsters far more quickly and easily than even the Dark One could muster," she leaned in, "And if you think me so easily swayed that I would take my leave of him…it makes me curious just how easily swayed your people would be to revolt against you," she leaned back, "What do you think Rummy?" she inquired, waiting only a moment before looking over her shoulder where the Dark One himself had appeared.

"I would love to find out," Rumpelstiltskin giggled.

"No," the king breathed, looking around for help, though it seemed like no one noticed what was going on, like no one could hear them, it had to be magic, "No, please…"

"Luckily for you, dearie," Rumpelstiltskin replied, "I'm in a rather good mood this night," he threw his hands up with a flourish, "I'll spare you and your pathetic kingdom from seeing the true devastation the Piper can cause with a mere whistle on one condition."

"Anything," he promised.

"You forget you ever met her," Rumpelstiltskin stated, reaching out to take Piper's hand, gently leading her back to his side, lifting her hand to press a kiss to the back of it, content that no one would be the wiser in seeing his actions, such was the power of magic and glamors, "You forget the Piper ever came here, that she ever had red hair, that she ever spoke to you. You breathe not a word of this to anyone, especially the Queen, and your kingdom shall be safe."

"Understood," the king nodded frantically, "Not a word."

"Well then," Rumpelstiltskin looked at Piper, "What say you Pip? Shall we retire for the evening?"

"I would welcome that," she nodded, "I wish to return home."

He grinned at that, at her calling his castle home, and giggled, waving his hand and surrounding them in a swirl of red smoke, the last few wisps of it disappearing to reveal them back in his main hall once more.

"There's no place like home," he giggled, turning to look at her, "Did you have fun tonight Pip?"

She hummed, "Frightening a king so much that he likely has to change his trousers was entertaining," she remarked.

His expression actually fell at that when she offered nothing else, "And the rest of the night?"

She shrugged, "It was…bearable."

"But not…entertaining? Not…you didn't…you weren't enjoying it?"

She blinked and looked at him closely, seeing him staring at her with a small frown, "Not much, no."

"Oh," he tilted his head, confused.

"Why did you wish me to attend such an event?" Piper asked, observing him, he genuinely seemed both disappointed and puzzled by her reaction.

"I…merely thought you would enjoy leaving the castle for a spell," he offered, making her eyes narrow as she detected the slightest of lies in his words, "You've done an excellent job of caring for my home, Pip, I thought a reward was in order."

"No," she said slowly, stepping closer to him, "That is not it…"

"It is," he insisted, not moving back the nearer she came till she was standing almost nose to nose with him.

"Is not."

"Is too."

"Liar."

"Dark One," he gestured at himself, "Lies are my trade."

"But not to me," she shook her head, tilting it a bit to look into his eyes more, "Tell me truly, Rummy, what reason had you for me to join you this night?"

He was silent a moment, his eyes searching hers, seeming like he was debating with speaking more or not, before he sighed, "It was a ball."

"Yes," she nodded slowly, "I was aware."

"It was a ball, in a castle."

"And?" this time it was her turn to be confused.

He let out a long breath, "It was a ball, in a castle, with…people, with royals. It was an event, a betrothal, it was a grand celebration. In a castle, full of people, nobles, in a kingdom, with villagers and servants and…"

"Rummy," she reached out to take his hand, "I do not understand."

He looked down a moment, off to the side, "I…can't give you that."

She blinked but said nothing.

"You were a princess," he looked at her, "You had a kingdom, people, servants, a castle full of life, balls and parties and stables with horses and fountains and gardens and jewelry, finery and buffets of food. You were a princess," he repeated, "And now you're here. With me. In a castle of two, dull and lifeless and lonely, and while I can give you all the jewels you would desire and finery beyond your imagination, foods from realms you've never even heard of…I cannot give you your kingdom back. I cannot give you that life back. I lost my boy and my wife, my humanity, all the light in my life. And you gave me most of it back," he shook his head as he observed her, lifting his free hand to touch her cheek gently, "You gave me true love, you make me feel less a monster because you don't see my actions as evil, you understand me and I feel as though there is some sort of light returning to me, through you. You lost everything, your home, your people, your title, your family, and I can give you nothing in return, nothing to equal what you have given me."

Piper was silent a long while, processing everything he had said to her…

Before she smiled.

"Rummy," she shook her head fondly, "Oh Rumpelstiltskin. My foolish Dark One."

He looked away at that so she mimicked his actions, lifting her hand to his cheek to direct his gaze back to her, "I do not want that," she told him, making sure he was looking into her eyes as she said it, "I have no desire any longer for a kingdom or a people to rule. I have no need of servants or a castle full of bustling songs keeping me up at all hours of the night," she managed to get a small smirk out of him for that, "I was never one for balls or parties, for horses and fountains and gardens, jewelry or finery or exotic foods. All I need, all I shall ever need…you HAVE given me," she told him, tears actually starting to form in her eyes, startling him to see, "My home is with YOU, wherever you are, that is my home now. You have given me freedom to make what deals I wish, to do my business and not hold me back. You have given me a new title," she dared to tease, "Mistress of the Dark Castle…"

"Holder of the Dark One's Dagger," he added quietly.

"Yes," she nodded, "And while I would love to be with my cousin again, my distance is what keeps her safe and that is all I want. Your protection keeps me safe, which keeps her safe. _I_ have chosen to keep from her, you had no say in that choice nor knowledge that I had made it. It does not fall upon you to feel the burden of keeping my family from me. You…YOU have become my family now," she blinked, a tear falling from her eye that he quickly caught with his thumb, "Whether we can grow our family with children of our own, or whether we have to steal one," she said that last part in a teasing tone, both of them knowing that if they truly stole a child then the parents and village and half the realm would come for them with pitchforks and torches, "It matters not to me."

"Pip…" he breathed.

"So long as I have you, Rumpelstiltskin, I have everything I need."

Rumpelstiltskin shook his head slowly at her words, at the truth and emotion and power behind what she'd said. He had been thinking lately, ever since he'd seen her at Cinderella's wedding, when he'd seen her standing in the shadows as the ball went on, when he saw her watching her cousin, that even if he hadn't taken all that from her, he was still holding her from returning to it. He'd thought that…he'd felt guilty that such a large part of her life had been taken and that she hadn't even said a word about going back to it. He'd thought she kept her silence about it because she did not want to think on it, even now she did not speak much about her life as Rose Red, he thought it meant it pained her to look back on, that if she did she'd feel regret for the choices she made. He thought she was silent because she did not want to speak of what she longed for but thought she could never have.

He had been wrong.

She had been silent because she already had everything she longed for, in him.

He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers in a firm, desperate, emotional kiss, something he was sure no one would believe possible between the Dark One and the Pied Piper had they not witnessed it themselves. He slid his hand from her cheek to her hair, burying it in her golden waves, angling her to deepen the kiss, feeling his heart thud against his chest as she wound her arm around his neck, pulling him closer as well.

They pulled apart seconds after oxygen became an issue, neither one wanting the moment to end, and so it didn't, for they spoke not another word, merely rested their foreheads together, swaying slightly, till his arm drifted down to her waist instead, his other hand still holding hers as it had been since the moment she'd taken it, lifting it so they were dancing a slow waltz to no music, not that they needed it.

After all, they hadn't gotten to dance at the ball, which was just as well. They didn't need to dance in the middle of a crowd, they only needed each other.

A/N: Aww :') I feel like, in many a relationship, there's always a moment of wondering if you're really the best person for your partner, if you're doing all you can to make them happy, or if you're being too selfish in wanting to keep them with you. I wanted to show a moment of vulnerability for the 'great and terrible' Dark One and the hardened and cold Pied Piper. I like that they're so cold and harsh to others, but with each other, the depth of their understanding of each other, makes them softer :)

And, I know that Belle was captured by Regina and that when Hook came to try and use her to kill the Dark One that was when she hired him to go to Wonderland. In this story though, since Belle had been replaced and Regina knew it, she didn't see the point in capturing Belle because she was clearly easily replaceable to the Dark One at that point and didn't seem as valuable an asset, so Belle returned home. Later, when it would be time to send someone to Wonderland, Regina selected Hook and had her Black Knights bring him to her ;)

Some notes on reviews...

A few of you are curious if Piper might be pregnant because she got winded so quickly. She could be, or she might not be }:) She could just as easily have just fallen behind and Emma and Charming were just as winded, but they had the adrenaline going for them that Piper lacked (as she didn't really care if Hook or Elsa, at that point, got hurt) so she wasn't feeling that extra kick to run faster and last longer than they were or even that she was still feeling the leftover exhaustion from using her magic to break at the ice wall ;) We'll have to wait and see if this might be the story where Rummy and Piper finally have that child they've been talking about since Season 1 lol ;) I know _I_ want it to happen and _they_ want it to happen...but we've also both wanted it to happen since season 1 and it's going on 4 seasons now so you never know, could be next season or the one after at that rate }:)

I agree, slowly Emma is coming around to the fact that she made a BIG boo-boo in the past with altering time :) I'm glad you liked Piper's reactions to the Elsa-Anna situation and her reaction to Gold, she'll slowly warm up to Elsa a little bit more, but she'd pick Gold over Elsa in terms of who's side she's on any day ;) I can say that Snow's issue with Piper and Neal was triggered a little by what Marian said, but I won't say what it actually made her think or feel just yet }:) Elsa might just mention what Gold said yup, but whether Emma hears it or not is another thing ;) I can say that the winded didn't come from the Snow Monster nope, I think Gold would have used magic to heal her if he saw her hurt afterwards :) She was very tired from trying to break down the ice wall the night before, which could have been a reason for the windedness ;) And thank you! I didn't get a chance to get on my tumblr last night, but I plan to be on today, I can't wait to see your picture! ^-^ And I fully understand privacy. I think it took about 2 years before people managed to guess my real name and got me to admit what it was in a guessing game lol, though they've been very kind and understanding in still referring to me as Lizze as I'm not fully comfortable with seeing my name pop up just yet ;)

We'll have to wait and see who might betray who ;)

That's ok ;) I'm sure the other story is wonderful ;) As for whether the Charmings (or Charming himself) will do something to set Piper off, we'll have to wait and see }:) Just because Gold has no intentions to betray Piper doesn't mean something won't severely force his hand }:D

We'll have to wait and see what might become of Piper's heart. This will definitely be a story of strained relationships and tests of loyalty though ;) I'm actually very much looking forward to the Shattered Sight curse, but as for the townline, my lips are sealed about that moment ;)


	7. The Apprentice

The Apprentice

Piper smiled fondly at Gold as they sat in the backroom of his shop, two hot beverages before them, a small meal from Granny's between them to share. She had been on her way to meet her cousin, to try and 'help' them find Elsa's missing sister Anna, when she had decided that, before likely spending the day locked in a room with a woman she was still cross about endangering her niece and a man that would no doubt irritate her or make sly remarks about her torrid past, as he seemed wont to do whenever a villain so much as came within ten feet of him and remained there for more than ten minutes, she wanted to at least have some sort of relaxation and ease for the day ahead. So she had decided to surprise Gold with a warm meal from Granny's for them to share before she had to go to Mary Margaret's apartment.

It was a…tricky situation she was in at the moment, two sides of her life and heart trying to balance each other without hurting the other side. On one hand, there was her true love, the Dark One himself, who was relying on her to help him find a way to free him from the control of his Dagger. And she wanted to, desperately, she had been the one to encourage him to start looking for a way to do it again. If she had a choice, over the entire mess that had become Storybrooke, she would choose helping him to be her sole focus. She didn't care if Maid Marian ever unfroze, so long as it meant the price of magic and the unbalance Emma had caused was resolved, if that was magic's way of righting itself, then she would not touch that woman's frozen form with a twenty foot pole.

But Mary Margaret thought she was working to find a way to reverse it while also keeping magic from trying to take anyone else's life.

It might have been suspicious that, with all the resources at the Dark One's disposal that they hadn't found a cure yet. It might have been suspicious…if Regina, who was searching for the same thing, but in earnest, hadn't found anything either. Regina was struggling, as far as she knew, to find a way to save Marian as well so no one thought anything off about the lack of information or theories coming from her or Gold at the moment.

She wanted to be there, to help Gold find a way to free himself, she did.

At the same time, Mary Margaret was relying on her to help them deal with this Snow Queen business, and that also involved helping them find Elsa's sister. That…was more difficult a problem to brush aside. Because it appeared the Snow Queen DID pose a threat to Emma and she would NOT have that…

But she was also useful to Gold.

For the moment, the Snow Queen appeared to be neutral territory to her, in terms of either side of her heart. She could not touch the woman for fear of causing Gold to lose something he was clearly seeking from the woman (though she had his blessing to end her if she truly harmed Emma). But at the same time she had to keep a watch out and protect Emma from the woman and show an interest in stopping her. So, for now, unless the Snow Queen outright plotted against Emma, she would do nothing about the woman.

She…wasn't sure if the Snow Queen actually WOULD harm Emma though. She had the chance, Emma had been standing right before her, without her or David beside her, and the Snow Queen could have easily attacked her with her magic…yet she chose to attack Hook. Which was just as well in her book, she would rather Hook be a target than Emma, but…it gave her the sense that the Snow Queen wouldn't harm Emma in that way.

And then there was Anna and the search for her. She wanted no part of Elsa or her quest, not after Emma nearly froze to death at Elsa's hand…but Mary Margaret had begged her help even though she had told her cousin she could not find a person's song if she had never met that person to hear their song. It had been enough of a reason for Mary Margaret not to think to ask her to search out the Snow Queen. Emma had attested that she'd been too far away when the woman attacked Hook in the woods, she had only reached them once the Snow Queen was gone, so how could she possibly have heard the woman's song?

Even if she had, even if she had when she'd gone with Gold to the woods at night and seen and heard her. But no one but Gold knew that detail. So she wasn't quite lying to her family on that.

It was almost…useful, though, to be involved in the search for Anna. She and Gold needed it, they desperately needed everyone else, all the heroes, to be distracted enough to not question what they were really researching in their spare time. She needed them to be so busy running around after the Snow Queen or following trails to Anna that she and Gold would be free to research in peace. So going there, seeing how the search was going would help her prepare, would help her nudge them in one direction that would lead to a cold trail, or give Gold the opportunity to place false evidence, just…anything to give them more time.

A part of her didn't like it, keeping this from her cousin, what she was planning, not being fully truthful about her intentions with the Snow Queen or Anna or Elsa or trying to save Marian. A part of her wanted her cousin to know the truth…but another part of her knew, the second anyone found out what the Dark One was trying to do…there would be all sorts of hell on the uprising and plans to try and stop him or hinder him or destroy any information anyone might have on how to do it. She didn't want any more complications to come about than there already were.

And there were plenty.

The smile that had made its way onto her face when Gold offered her the last bite of a small slice of cake that came with the meal fell mid-chew when the bell to the shop jingled.

"Did you not put up the sign?" she inquired, her hand in front of her mouth as she spoke.

"I did," he muttered, thinking of the 'back in 15 minutes' sign he'd put up, "It seems someone doesn't know how to read," he huffed, getting up and walking back into the shop, offering her a quiet, "I'll only be a moment," before he disappeared into the main shop. His eyes narrowed as he saw Hook standing there, "Making yourself at home, are we?"

"I'm here to make another deal," Hook stated.

"Not interested," he gestured to the door.

"Oh, you will be," Hook narrowed his eyes, "Unless you want me to reveal to Emma that your precious Pip has been working against her."

Gold scoffed at that, "And how do you figure THAT one?"

"I was there, mate," Hook glared, "I was standing right there as Emma and David ran over to help stop the Snow Queen skewering me, yet your _Pip_ ," he said her name as though it were some vile curse, "Was nowhere to be seen…until, of course, the Snow Queen had vanished. _Exactly_ when the Snow Queen vanished. She clearly wanted me dead, she held back so as to let that vile creature murder me without getting the blood on her own hands."

"And have you forgotten, _mate_ ," Gold mocked, "Or were you not there, when Pip used nearly all her energy to break down an ice wall to get Emma back? Energy like that doesn't just restore itself over night. Would you be able to run as fast after a battle?" he shook his head, "If you were any sort of intelligent, you would tread carefully when you speak of Pip to me, when you threaten to use her as leverage against me. I might just take your other hand or worse."

"It's funny you say that cause my hand is _exactly_ what I'm here about."

Gold smirked, "This one?" he waved his hand and a jar appeared beside him in a swirl of red, full of liquid, a severed hand floating in it, pristinely preserved.

"You kept it all of these years?" Hook stared at it.

"Only to remind myself I should have finished the job when I had the chance."

"Can you reattach it?"

"Indeed," he eyed Hook, "But the question is, why?"

"I've got a date with Emma. Should things go well and she wants me to hold her, I want to use both hands."

Gold smirked at that, "You're right," he remarked, "Pip does want you dead, not quite so badly as I do. So what makes you think either of us would ever do anything that would benefit you?"

"Because what benefits me, makes Emma happy," this time Hook smirked, as though he'd found a loophole, a trap that Gold had walked right into, "EMMA asked me on this date, _she_ wants to be with me, I, apparently, make her quite happy. And that's all your precious Piper wants, isn't it?" he mocked, "For her family to be happy? Unless, of course, you want Emma to be miserable, I'm sure that would make the Piper undeniably happy for her family to suffer."

Gold looked at Hook for a very long while, wondering if the pirate might be drunk or if he'd had so much rum in his life he'd killed off a few braincells if he thought that Piper would want the man on a date with Emma just because it 'made her happy' when she had made it quite clear she was very much against them being together because she felt he wasn't worthy of her and would only hurt her in the end...before he gave a smirk, "Oh, I see blackmail brings out the romantic in you. But this hand may bring out the worst."

"What the devil does that mean?" Hook's eyes narrowed though he got the sense that he'd just won, the Dark One wouldn't speak like that if he wasn't agreeable to returning his hand.

"This hand belonged to the man you used to be," he reminded the pirate, "Cunning, selfish, _murderous_ pirate. If I reunite this with your body, there's no telling what influence it could have on you."

Hook scoffed at that, laughing incredulously, "Sorry, Dark One. I'm not gonna fall for your tricks today. Nothing can change me back. Now give me my hand. Or betray your Piper in working against the efforts of someone trying to make her family happy."

"Very well," Gold waved his hand, his gaze drifting down to the hand now back in place on Hook's arm, "Don't say I didn't warn you," he told the man seriously, before gesturing to the door.

He waited until Hook had left, shaking his head at how the man had accepted all of that without realizing how 'easily' he'd given in and found nothing suspicious about it. He waited till Hook had walked past the windows and disappeared to return to the back room.

"What did the pirate want?" Piper glanced up at him, finishing up her drink.

"Apparently Miss Swan has requested his presence for a date."

Piper actually started to choke on her drink, coughing as it went down wrong at what he'd just said. She winced, rubbing her chest at that, and gave him a disbelieving look, "You jest."

"Sadly, no," he sighed, sitting down, "He 'politely requested' that I reattach his hand, so as to properly woo her."

"Tell me you did not."

Gold looked at her, "I did," he held up a hand quickly to stop her outraged response, "As a gift, for you Pip."

"How is giving that pirate _two_ hands with which to have all over my niece in anyway a gift to me?"

He smirked, "I haven't quite lost my way with words, Pip, nor the ability to get into someone's head," he leaned over and took her hand, pleased that she was merely watching him, letting him speak instead of storming out of there as, he admitted, he was a little fearful she might do, "I told the pirate, warned him really, to be wary of the hand," he widened his eyes a bit for emphasis, "To take care, for the hand belonged to a cunning, selfish, murderous pirate, and…who knows what sort of influence it would have on him once it was reattached? He claimed _nothing_ could 'change him back.' And I think you know what that means."

Piper looked at him a long moment, her eyes slightly narrow, her head tilted minutely as she considered his words, before her lips curled up in a dark grin, "Psychological warfare," she murmured, sliding off her chair to kneel next to his, her hand shifting to hold his, lacing their fingers together, "You know just the way to a girl's heart, Rumpelstiltskin."

And he very much did. She knew that to take on something new to a person, something that belonged to another, there was no magical effect from it. She had been living with the Dark One's heart in her chest for 30 years now, and he with hers. He showed no signs of having any Siren-like traits, nor did she share any of his. The hand would have no impact on Hook at all, it wouldn't control him, or possess him, or anything like that…

But Hook would think it did.

And because Hook thought the hand would make him do evil things, he would do them himself. It wasn't the hand at all, it would just be HIM, entirely HIM. He had given her the gift of watching Hook's true colors shine through beneath all his talk about redemption and wanting to be a better man.

Just as the Dark One had become who he was in 300 years, something that could not be changed overnight, so was Hook the same pirate he had been and become in 300 years. All his attempts to make it seem like he'd changed and changed so suddenly would be blown to shreds now that he'd essentially been given an excuse to do whatever he wanted so long as he could blame it on his hand.

They would see who he truly was.

It would prove if he was truly worthy of Emma.

And Gold had known he wouldn't be, known he would fall for the trap, he had given her a means to prove the point she had been making since Hook first appeared, that he was only changing for Emma and not because he was truly a good person at heart. If 'nothing could change him back' and he really had changed into a 'good man' or a hero, then the hand would have no effect. If he acted, even for a moment, like the pirate he had been, then it meant nothing had really changed at all in him save that he was freed of his act for the time being.

"No," Gold shook his head as she leaned in slowly, "Just yours Pip, just your heart."

She moved in and pressed her lips to his…and if she was more than a little late in meeting Mary Margaret at her apartment, well…so be it.

~8~

Piper wasn't sure, at first, whether she should have been cross that she'd missed Emma setting off on her date with Hook or not. It appeared Hook had some level of intelligence as he'd come to the shop only the shortest time before he was to escort Emma to dinner, stopping only to change clothes as, according to Mary Margaret, he was wearing more modern clothing while Emma had a lovely white dress on. She had hurried to her cousin's apartment when she'd finally pulled away from Gold long enough to realize the time…and found Mary Margaret, David, and Elsa the only ones there, Neal sitting in a small cot just beside his mother, going through binders of information on the citizens of Storybrooke. Emma and Hook had already left and Mary Margaret had forbidden her from going after them to spy on their date.

Though, for once, she and David seemed to be of like mind about something as he had been banned from leaving the apartment till Emma returned so as not to spy on his daughter either.

She had been rather irritated by it, by Snow White ordering her about while SHE was now the elder of the two, had been immensely irritated when Mary Margaret had merely rolled her eyes and asked if she spied on HER in the Enchanted Forest with her Shepherd.

To which she'd replied yes.

Which had startled Mary Margaret a bit, though she'd recovered quickly enough to emphasize 'every moment?' And then, when she'd given no response as she hadn't understood what she meant, the woman had gone on to talk about the honeymoons and what may or may not have led to Emma being conceived.

She'd cut Mary Margaret off quickly at that, utterly disgusted, and fervently denying that she'd watched them THAT closely. No, she checked in from time to time, kept tabs on them to see how the trials they felt the need to turn to the Dark One for had played out, or when she heard whispers of something involving her cousin, but for the most part…she tried to let Snow White live her own life. As hard as it was to stay away from her cousin for her safety, it WAS equally as hard to watch her living and being happy with her new friends and family. She WAS happy, truly she was, that her cousin was content and safe and had people to be there for her when she couldn't be. But it did still hurt that SHE wasn't the one there, but she'd made her choice and it had played out for the better in the end.

Mary Margaret had tried to keep her in the apartment even after they'd finished sorting through the binders that had been gathered. There had been a good amount of them, all the information in one binder combining a certain number of letters to organize the citizens. A-E, F-L, M-S, T-Z, which was just enough for the four of them to sort through. Mary Margaret had tried to trick her into staying for coffee and pie and snacks or a movie, had even tried to bribe her with holding Neal…which might have worked had the boy not been conked out dead asleep and David convinced his wife, of the love of god, not to wake the baby when he was actually quiet.

So she'd had no reason to stay, not that she didn't enjoy visiting her cousin…but she didn't think she could quite be around Elsa without making some sort of comment much longer. She'd promised Mary Margaret to try and be calm and civil through the course of the search, but it had been trying. She knew little of the woman, didn't care to learn more about her, and didn't care to be around her for too long. She knew Mary Margaret was just concerned that she would try and track down Emma when she left to see how the 'date' was going with the two-handed pirate. She knew Mary Margaret was concerned, because she had pleaded with her not to do it, had actually made her promise, to swear to her, that she wouldn't go sneaking around to find Emma or spy on her and Hook.

At that point, she'd just wanted to get out of the apartment so badly that she'd agreed.

Which was why she wasn't sure if she should be cross that she'd been late getting to Mary Margaret's or not.

At first.

Because now, standing in Gold's shop, she was quite certain that no, she was NOT cross, not at all…

For right outside the doors of the shop, literally right across the street, was Hook…beating Will Scarlet to the ground just outside the library.

From what she had seen, Will had been about to break in when Hook stumbled by. Something had been said and he reached out to Will, who pushed his hand away, and then one thing led to another…and Hook was viciously beating the man with his fists.

And as terrible as every other person in town would think it was, Piper merely smirked as she watched it happen.

Hook seemed to realize what he was doing soon enough and stopped, which made her scoff and shake her head, the fact that it had happened at all was enough.

"See anything interesting, Pip?" Gold called from the counter.

She turned on her heel and grinned at him, slowly sauntering over to him and placing her hands flat on the counter, Gold reaching out to rest his on top of hers, "I am fairly certain I saw a cunning, selfish, and quite murderous pirate captain just now, rather a strange sight when, according to a certain seafaring man, there should be no pirate captain in existence."

Gold smirked at that, lifting one of her hands to his lips, "Then I take it you enjoy your gift then?"

"I should not have doubted you," she tilted her head, "You have always given me the best ones."

"And I endeavor to continue to do so."

She narrowed her eyes playfully, "Oh?"

"Indeed."

"And what shall your next gift be?"

"I think you know, dearie."

Her eyes widened slightly, "You have decided upon the first step towards freeing yourself?"

He nodded, "I believe I have."

She opened her mouth to ask him what the first step would be as he was being very careful about how to go about this attempt to free him, not wanting to risk any obstacles coming up or any delays occurring, when the jingling of the door made her turn around to see Hook storming in.

"You were right," Hook glared at him as he headed for them, though he kept quite the distance from Piper, almost ignored her completely as he looked at Gold.

"Get out," was all the Dark One said, seeing Hook standing before him near Piper only served to remind him of what the man had said and implied about her earlier, and he was in no mood.

"I don't want this infernal hand anymore," Hook lifted it, "It's taken possession of me!"

"Has it?" Piper lifted an eyebrow, "You seem rather in control of yourself at the moment."

"You should have heeded my warning when I offered it," Gold shrugged, pulling the glare Hook was sending to Piper over to himself.

"I _can't_ control it," Hook nearly spat through clenched teeth, "Remove the damned thing before it makes me do something you'll regret!"

"And how, exactly, would YOUR actions be something _I_ would regret?"

"This hand…" Hook glared at it, "It came from a time before I ever thought I could love again after Milah," he looked at Gold, keeping Piper in the corner of his eye, hoping that it would garner some sort of reaction to mention the woman's name, but there was nothing, "It won't care for Emma. It could hurt HER, and then you would both regret not helping me rid myself of it."

"And here I thought you were a changed man," Piper tsked.

"Yes," Gold nodded, "I do believe your exact words were 'nothing can change me back,'" he gave Hook a look, "If you changed, wouldn't your hand be ineffective? If you've changed, Emma should be safe."

"Is that a risk you're willing to take?" Hook challenged, though this time he looked more at Piper than Gold, knowing he could get to HER with a threat to Emma more so than the Dark One.

Piper's eyes narrowed at that, looking at him long and hard, before she turned to Gold, "What say you, Rummy?" she inquired, though her eyes never left his, something sparkling within them as she spoke to him, "You knew him best as the sniveling bilge rat he was. Would my niece be safe?"

Gold appeared to consider it a moment, before he turned to Hook, "You want to part ways with that hand and get this back," he held up his hand, magically summoning Hook's hook, "There's only one way I'll help."

"Damn" Hook muttered, "What do you want?"

"All in due time."

"And you think I'm daft enough to agree to that without knowing the terms?" he scoffed, "I'll find another way to rid myself of this damned hand."

"I'm afraid that's easier said than done," Gold mockingly shrugged, "You see, my magic put that hand on, and only my magic can take it off."

Before Gold could even blink, a high pitched whistle rang through the shop, driving Hook to his knees in pain mid-lunge towards Gold, his hand only having just gripped the hook, about to plunge it into the man's chest, when Piper had opened her mouth to stop him.

"You'd think you'd have learned the first time you buried that hook in me it wouldn't have stuck anyway," Gold tsked, "Though, lucky for you you chose ME as your target," he peered down his nose at the panting Hook, "Had you tried that trick with her," he nodded at Piper who was glaring at the fallen pirate, "You would be dead before you could touch her never mind what the Savior would think."

"That…wasn't me," Hook gasped, "That was…that was the hand…"

"You're losing control, dearie," Gold sighed, "Next time, you might do something to someone who can't be so easily fixed."

"Emma," Hook closed his eyes in pain, realizing that he very easily COULD have harmed Emma.

He had been using it as bait before, as leverage, as a threat to get the hand off. He never ever planned to harm Emma, felt he could never bring himself to do such a thing…but to hear the Dark One give into Piper's question, to hear him agree to remove the hand…it HAD to mean that Emma would be in real and true danger, from HIM. And now, all he could think about was that he very well could hurt her, badly, because she trusted him enough to let him closer to her and be alone with him where no one could stop him…

"You have a deal," he swallowed hard, "I'll do whatever it takes."

Gold grinned, "Oh, I do love it when they say that."

"I agree," Piper smirked at that, "The desperate ones are always so much fun."

Though...there was something bothering her about it. Emma. At the first mention that he could harm others, Hook's thoughts turned to _Emma_. And while it should be a delight that someone cared about her niece...Emma was _not_ the _only_ member of her family. Hook didn't even pause to consider the equal danger he posed to Mary Margaret, or Henry, or even baby Neal. It made it sound like he could harm any other person in the town and not care so long as it wasn't _Emma_ , ignoring the fact that four of those townspeople were her mother, father, son, and brother. Hook only seemed to have fear of harming Emma and only her. And it was disturbing to her. Oh she herself had no qualms about harming anyone else in the town so long as it wasn't her family, those important to her, no issue with it at all...but she never claimed herself to be a hero or reforming or anything of the sort. If Hook truly wanted Emma to think he wasn't that pirate or villain anymore but a good man...wouldn't BEING one mean he would be alarmed and fearful of harming Emma's son or brother or anyone that would upset Emma, which would be the town? If the only person he cared about harming was Emma, as he made it seem, he really and truly had not changed at all...and that put HER family in danger from the man, that put Henry and Neal on the bottom of Hook's totem pole of caring, and that was not something she would accept.

"Meet us at the docks tomorrow morning, captain," Gold told him, "We have work to do."

Hook nearly growled at them as he shoved himself to his feet and stormed out of the shop.

Piper shook her head as the door slammed shut, "If he truly thinks he could harm Emma, then he truly has not changed."

She had sensed it off him, a desperation, and the perfect way to truly force him to realize that his efforts to 'change' were ineffective and lacked any true desire. She had fed on his fear, played along with his dread, and in asking Gold if HE thought Hook would harm Emma…she'd tried to tell him with her eyes to go along with it, to help feed into it as well. And he had, he always understood her like that, when it mattered he knew. He had made Hook react more with his words, driven home the point even more, that Emma would be in danger with him, with his attempts to play the hero without actually BEING the hero.

And when he realized the truth about that hand…perhaps then he would actually WANT to be better, for himself before Emma. It wasn't healthy to bury parts of yourself under lies, to push impulses to the back and have them roar to life later.

She knew that from experience, what it meant to hide who you truly were, she understood that only through accepting all of yourself, the light and the dark, could you truly understand who you were and find someone that loved you for all of it. It wasn't right nor was it healthy, in her opinion, what Hook was attempting with her niece. He was acting a part, a 'reformed villain,' a would-be hero, but he had no true desire to BE one if Emma didn't want him to be. He was not being true to himself and, in doing so, Emma could never truly love and accept him.

She doubted Emma knew even a fraction of what Hook had done nor had the man truly attempted to TELL her what he'd been. You couldn't love someone if you didn't understand who they were and who they are and accept the journey that made them that, accept everything about them.

He was playing a role, pretending to be someone he thought Emma would want, instead of letting her love him for everything he was. And it would only serve to hurt them both, hurt Emma the most, in the end.

And for that reason alone, she doubted she would ever accept Hook as the 'right one' for her niece, because he would only hurt her, she was certain of it.

~8~

Piper walked beside Gold, her hand tucked into his arm, along the dock the next morning. It was a chilly day, quite early, the sea breeze making it feel colder, yet despite that she didn't bother to button up her jacket, allowing it to hang open, revealing her deep red, long sleeved dress, with a V-neckline, a thick black belt around the middle, and black stockings to go with her black boots, both hiding the Dagger and her pipe as always, the boots making a faint thudding noise as they walked along, coming upon Hook sprawled out on a bench by a table, sleeping. At first she had been curious what job Gold had in mind for the pirate. Originally she had just wanted him to startle Hook with thoughts that he could be capable of harming Emma...but he'd done one better, he truly had and now they were about to put another plan into action that she was rather intrigued to see how it would go.

Her true love was a genius, an evil genius.

She loved it.

"Good morning, captain," Gold greeted almost cheerfully, well, he was cheerful to see the man in such a degraded state, "Well I trust you're ready."

Hook groaned as he rolled himself up into a sitting position, "I'm ready to pay the price and get this over with."

"Good," he held out a hand and Piper handed him a simple, yet well cared for broom that she'd brought with them.

"What are we gonna do with that?" Hook eyed it.

"This is gonna help me find an old friend," Gold grinned, tossing the broom to the side, only for it to start shaking in midair. The bottom half split in two, like small thick legs, the wood of the handle splintering into two small arms, the broom marching on down the dock, "After you," he gestured Hook on to follow the broom.

"To whom is our bristled guide leading us?" Hook hesitated to follow.

"Someone who wronged me long ago," was all Gold said, "And today, he's going to pay the price," he gestured Hook on once more, a more firm look in his eye that had the pirate moving this time.

"Ooh, rude," Piper nudged him teasingly, "What of 'women first?'"

"If I trusted him not to attempt anything underhanded," Gold murmured to her as they followed him, "I would maintain my sense of manners. In this case, Pip, I fear I must defer to my sense of preservation," he glanced at her, "He would have killed me last night were I not what I am and you were not there. I will not risk him attempting the same to you."

Piper smiled at that, squeezing his arm more firmly at his care for her, allowing them to fall into a gentle silence as they followed the broom on, towards the edge of town relatively close to the docks. It walked and walked, till it came to a rather old house, small, looking a little worse for the wear, and stopped, resting itself right beside the door.

"Is this it?" Piper breathed, staring at the small home.

"I do believe it is," Gold grinned.

Piper felt her smile grow, she could almost feel the relief and excitement radiating off of him as they walked down the path to the front door.

Gold rapped four times on the door, the three of them waiting only a moment before the door was opening, an older man, slightly bald on the top, with longer graying hair around the edge, in baggy clothing gaped at them, "Hello, old friend," Gold smirked, "Captain, please see our host a seat."

Hook gave Gold a glare but shoved his way into the house, grabbing the man by the arm and forcing him back, driving him into his own home to the nearest chair set up in the dining room, moving behind him to place his hands on the man's shoulders, holding him down.

Gold moved to stand before the man, "Pip, if you would?" he held out a hand to her.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the small metal-bucket that he'd found in the mansion in the woods, handing it to him. Gold knelt down on the ground, placing the object before the man and held a hand up to Piper. She looked over at the man who seemed to be pleading with her with his eyes not to do something, but she just pulled his dagger from her boot and promptly passed it to him. Gold chuckled at the fear in the man's eyes as he waved the dagger over the object, causing the same dusting and smoke to rise out of it as the blue-galaxied hat rose out of it just like before.

"You have it…" the man breathed, his voice shaking.

"Don't tell me you doubted me," Gold glanced up at him, though it wouldn't surprise him, there had been all of…one person in his life that had never doubted him in the slightest, one person he had worked inordinately hard to gain the trust of, one person he had swore never to lose the trust of either.

"Every Dark One tries," the man stuck his chin up, trying to be defiant, though they could see the fear still sparkling in his eyes, "Every one fails."

"Do they?" Piper breathed in deeply, eyeing the man closely, trying to see this 'Apprentice' to a powerful sorcerer that Gold had told her the man, trying to see any sort of power in him yet he just sat there making no effort to protect himself, but she smirked, realizing it wasn't a choice not to act, but shock keeping him too disoriented to do it, he clearly had NO idea the Dark One would manage, despite his words, he had never believed this possible and it had shaken him, "It does appear that HE has succeeded though," she gestured at Gold.

But the man shook his head, defiant still, "He may have the hat," he glanced at Gold, "But we both know you will never collect enough power to do what you want."

"Oh, I will," he reassured the man, "But, alas, you won't be there to see it."

And, with that, he reached out and ever so gently, tilted the hat back so it was resting with the opening facing the man on the chair. Almost instantly a light appeared within it, expanding and growing stronger, a vortex of golden light starting to swirl out of it and encompass the man, making him scream.

Hook jumped back as the man was pulled from his grip, the light surrounding him…and sucking him right into the hat.

"Where the hell did he go?!" Hook gasped.

Gold grinned as Piper reached out and tilted the hat back so it was sitting on the floor instead of lying there, "Exactly where I need him."

Piper smiled and took his hand, squeezing it firmly, knowing how much it meant that his had worked, that the first step towards freeing him was now behind them. He had been waiting for this moment for…so long, she was so happy for him that it was happening, and very…touched…that it got to happen with her there to witness it.

~8~

Piper was genuinely surprised that Hook had managed not to speak until they'd returned to the pawnshop, but, then again, after what he'd seen with the hat, he had likely not wanted to risk being trapped in it either and waited till they'd reappeared in the shop for Gold to put the hat away.

"Ok," Hook grit his teeth, "We're done. I've fulfilled our deal. Now take it off!" he held up his hand.

Gold rolled his eyes but waved his hand, causing the hand to reappear in the jar sitting on the counter, putting the hook back in place on the stump of Hook's arm. He waited till Hook had just turned to stalk off, to call out, "Our deal actually isn't complete."

Hook tensed and spun around, " _I_ say it is. You can no longer control me, mate," he smirked as though he'd gotten the upper hand of something.

"Is that so?" Piper eyed him, inordinately pleased that Gold's plan and trap had worked, that Hook had walked right into the temptation to give into his villainous ways in just the right way with just the right person. And the best thing was, they had killed two birds with one stone. They had taken step one of freeing Gold from the Dagger while, at the same time, managing to get the leverage they needed for Hook to keep his silence about it.

It really was true genius.

"I just saw the two of you suck someone into a hat," Hook reminded them, "You're clearly up to something, something that, I'd wager, has nothing at all to do with saving Robin Hood's wife. I… _I_ have everything I need to expose you both, YOU have got nothing on ME."

Gold looked as though he'd just been waiting for Hook to make that remarked as he reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a small VHS tape, "Security tape from the house we just left," he placed it on the counter, "How do you think Miss Swan is gonna react when she finds out what you did to that kindly old man?"

"I know how that device works," Hook shook his head, "And if I'm on there, so are you."

Gold chuckled, waving his hand over the tape, making a ripple of magic drift over it, "And now we're not. But _you_ are."

"I only did what you asked so I could rid myself of that cursed hand!" Hook shouted, taking a few steps towards them, "So I could become a better man. Emma will understand that."

"She may," Piper conceded, almost smirking at how it all looped back around to Emma and her understanding of events, it was…exactly what they needed to hear, "But will she understand the truth behind it?"

"What truth?" Hook nearly spat.

"That hand you were so keen to have back, and so desperate to be rid of," Piper gave an amused chuckle, "Is not cursed in the slightest."

"No," Hook shook his head, "HE said…" he pointed his hook at Gold.

"You were right," Gold shrugged simply, "Dark One lies. Dark One tricks. This hand is nothing but a lump of flesh," he waved his hand, making the jar and hand disappear, "The _only_ thing it did was give you permission, permission to be the man you _really_ are," he eyed Hook, "Not some…puppy dog chasing after the object of his affection…"

"But a ruthless, dangerous, villainous pirate that would stop at nothing to get what he wants," Piper finished, "A man willing to hold a poor old man down and let him be faced with the Dark One jus so that he could get a hand chopped off instead of find some way to save him or stand strong in the face of temptation and ease, like a 'hero' would have."

"I did you a _favor_. I helped you remember the darkness that lies beneath."

Hook glared at them, more at Piper, "Then you know that that darkness will have no problem telling your beloved Snow White what dark and evil deeds her cousin has been getting up to," he tried to threaten.

"You so much as attempt to breathe a word of this to Snow or Emma or _any_ of my family," Piper began, "You will find yourself unable to breathe ever again."

"Oh, better yet," Gold mused, "You do anything to jeopardize the woman I love…and I will make sure you lose the woman you love," he waved the video before putting it back in his pocket, "You come in here, demanding my services, you threaten my true love, you try to use her family, the woman you claim to love so much, as nothing more than leverage against her, you attack her you attack ME. And for that, you will owe me as long as you live."

"What if I'm willing to take you both down with me?" Hook demanded.

"I think I know you better than you know yourself, dearie," Gold told him simply.

"You say a word of this…and Emma learns the truth about you and your so-called 'redemption,'" Piper eyed him, "About how you have not changed at all, merely put on the airs of a hero. You are so fixated on what you think she wants of you, so obsessed with what she thinks of you and how she sees you. What do you think that would be after she learns the truth?"

"So here we are, Captain," Gold placed a hand on Piper's back, "Still in business together. I think we're gonna have some fun."

Hook glowered at them, but they could tell just from that…they had won.

A/N: I liked the aspect of the episode with Hook that it was really more psychological than magical that affected him :) It's like we see the Dark One rely on deals and magic and things like that so much that it was nice to remember that he's also very clever and cunning and able to get into someone's head with just words to :) I also wanted to show how Gold and Piper work sometimes, how one starts a plan and the other finds a way to add to it and expand it, almost going back and forth in how to set a trap. Like Gold started it with giving Hook his hand and planting the seeds of doubt about what the hand could make him do, Piper followed up with taking his 'threat' about harming Emma and turning it on him to really make him question if he WOULD hurt her, which Gold adapted his response of confirming the 'legitimate' fear into luring Hook into proving just how much he'd lied to himself and Emma while also getting blackmail against Hook, that Piper drove home with bringing up what Emma would think of him for his actions in how he gave in and did a horrible thing just because they were tempting him instead of fighting and coming clean to Emma first, he chose a villain's path in the end which proved his 'heroics' weren't quite as real and legitimate as he'd want others to believe. They sort of play off each other :)

Little bit longer part here but it gives more of a look into Piper's thoughts on love and why she sort of 'targeted' Hook in this chapter...

I feel like Piper's take on love colors how she feels about others and their relationships. To her, Hook isn't being true to himself and because of that Emma will never truly know WHO and what Hook is on the inside, who he really and truly is, because he's trying _so hard_ to be someone she _would_ love and not be someone that she _could come to_ love by getting to know him, nitty-gritty details included. And she thinks that it will only cause Emma pain later...when Hook gets tired of Emma and goes back to his pirate/villainous ways and ends up pitting him and Emma on opposite sides forcing her niece to fight the one she loved, or when Emma isn't there and Hook goes down the wrong path because that's the path he _would_ take naturally if Emma wasn't there to judge his actions, or other things. She feels Emma can't truly accept everything about him because he hasn't expressed it or let her see it and Emma also hasn't tried to learn more. It's a two-way street, to her, to really have true love with someone, and both Hook and Emma are going about it in the wrong way, to her. As Snow said in a prior chapter, 'you can't truly love someone without accepting ALL of them' and Piper believes that and she's fully convinced that Emma will never know all of Hook enough to accept all of him, that she'll do what Belle did and like the idea of a reformed villain, love the idea that someone was willing to change everything just for her (and not see how unhealthy that can be) or fall in love with who she thinks Hook is, with the image she has of him in her mind, instead of who he REALLY is and it'll cause her pain :(

I think Piper wouldn't have _as much_ a problem with Hook being with Emma if he was being 100% true to himself, because she has no right to say anything being in love with a villain herself (but even then, she and Gold are open about what they've done and accept their pasts as well as future together). If he was his villainous self and Emma got to know it and saw it for what it was and accepted it and loved him despite that or even for it or whatever, Piper would think it was healthier and safer because Emma would know what she was in for going into it and there would be less deception. She feels more like Hook is trying to trick Emma into loving him than really being someone Emma would genuinely love without all the effort and just being who he is, and she doesn't like that feeling of Emma being deceived into a relationship with someone holding a false-persona. If Hook was really wanting to change and those changes stuck even when Emma wasn't there or Emma wasn't a factor in it, Piper would also be more content to let it happen, because she'd see someone trying to be a better person in general and be a good fit for Emma. To her, Hook's obsession with changing for Emma is what's really setting her off, one one hand it's a sweet notion to want to change for someone...but it hasn't evolved from that, it's become an almost obsessive thing, to her, what Hook's doing, basing his entire life on what Emma wants and what Emma thinks and what Emma would want him to do or expect of him or think of him for doing. She's seen a more-true redemption happening in Regina, the Evil Queen of all people, in her opinion, than with a simple Pirate. To her, Regina started off wanting to be a better person/mother for her son, and it evolved to wanting to be a better person for Snow, for Robin, for the town, for herself. Even when those people aren't a factor or aren't around to judge her or even know about her choices, even when it doesn't benefit her in the long run, Regina still chooses the right thing in the end. Like...here, Regina is trying to save Marian, despite knowing that her soulmate will go right back to his wife and leave her yet again, because it is genuinely the right thing to do, not because she gets anything from it, she doesn't change Robin's view of her into a better one, it hurts her and it's challenging, but she's trying to do the right thing and be a real hero worthy of white magic and having a happy ending. Hook, at the same time as Regina's doing this, is taking the Dark One up on an offer to get his hand off, so that he doesn't 'become' a dreaded pirate around Emma, or do something Emma wouldn't like, or do something that would taint Emma's view of him. He isn't fighting, he isn't coming clean or talking to Emma about it, he's taking the quickest route to get what he wants and lying about it to try and keep himself a good man in Emma's eyes, he's doing what benefits him the fastest all because of Emma's view of him, he's going to do the wrong thing to keep Emma with him, whereas a villain on a real path of redemption would do the right thing even if it means losing the person they love. To Piper, Hook isn't doing anything a really reformed villain or someone that is a hero would do. It's always about what Emma wants and it's not going to be healthy for either in the long run. If it reached a point where, if Emma wasn't in the picture and Hook still remained trying to do good and be better, it would be one thing. But she's seen it happen before where Emma wasn't there and Hook went right back to his ways. She wants to be reassured that Hook will be a healthy choice and a good choice for Emma, and she's not seeing it just yet :(

Some notes on reviews...

Piper's been keeping tabs in bits and pieces so she doesn't know _everything_ Snow's done since her father died, but she knows quite a bit of it ;) She watched more to check in from time to time, or when she heard whispers about something happening with Snow, or if Snow came to make a deal with the Dark One to help her out. Sometimes she misses things because she's in the middle of a deal or another situation, so she hasn't seen everything, which will actually be a rather big thing for her to find out some things her cousin did in the past ;)

It was touched on in chapter 20 of the first story, when Rumple gives Piper his dagger and they kiss for the first time :) She tells him that magic operates on intent. So long as she kisses him without the intent to break his curse, the curse is safe :) I sort of take it as, we don't see that rainbow wave of magic every time Snow and Charming kiss and I feel like, in the episode where Snow was given the infertility potion, Charming had to have kissed her between her taking it and before she drank the waters of Lake Nostos yet it didn't break that curse, which I felt might be because Charming didn't know she was cursed and his kisses, while that of true love, had no intent to break a curse behind it :) Piper can hum a tune and, if she doesn't intend for her magic to come through in it, it's just a regular old song :) Lol, I actually thought Scarlet Beauty (if that's what it's called) was a little cute :) In the sense that they both went through true loves that sort of turned on them and hurt them and lies and trust issues and all, it was nice to see them be in a relationship where the other person understood what they went through and would be honest with them, someone they don't have to worry would betray them because they'd been betrayed themselves and wouldn't do that to someone else, sort of thing. I don't think Will could quite handle Piper though so she's safe, nor would Gold turn to Belle given how annoyed he usually is with here in the story ;)

Lol, Piper's pet peeve is the stories don't get her 100% correct :) Whenever someone bring up the children as a reason not to trust her or throw her past in her face, she always says that she 'gave the children back!' lol :) She takes them, but hasn't ever kept one. I feel like August doesn't count as it was outside the Enchanted Forest and he was already 'abandoned' :( They wouldn't really care if anyone came at them with pitchforks lol, it's more that, at that point, the time of the Curse is drawing near (as Snow's already pregnant) and they just don't want to deal with it, they're finally together and happy and they just don't want anymore trouble because they both know a bigger 'trouble' is coming :) I think it would depend on the child in question that was taken ;) Like...if the Curse came later and Rumple really _did_ manage to take Cinderella's child, I could see them sending an army to get the child back despite it having been a 'legal deal' with the Dark One that Cinderella 'agreed' to, the villagers that live in fear of the Piper or Dark One taking their children would probably join in under the belief that, if they help and can do it, then their children would be safe from the 'evils' of the Enchanted Forest ;) So it would depend on the child :) It was more Piper sort of trying to make light of the fact that, in the Enchanted Forest, they can't have children :( Piper will definitely become much darker as the story goes, especially with the tensions between the Villains and Heroes increasing. She's not quite deluded about her ability to balance, she's been managing that well enough for a few years now, it's more she's aware that it's on the other parties at times and won't be something she can control. Like on a personal level she knows what she can and can't do to not betray either side and she doesn't want to betray either, she's very careful to not let anything happen with Gold that would truly put her family in a jeopardy she can't help them out of or that they wouldn't be ok at the end of, at the same time she's very careful to try and keep her family from doing anything that would harm Gold too. But beyond that, it's out of her hands if Gold or her family makes a conscious choice to harm the other (which would harm her and likely harden her to them). The choice might be taken out of her hands }:) Lol, I might be taking some lessons from him in being vague ;) There'll definitely be a big deal over the dagger, I can say that };)


	8. Fearsome Beasts

Fearsome Beasts

Dusting the Dark Castle was, without a doubt, the worst chore of the list that Piper was expected to see to. The castle itself was large and had so many objects, so many rooms, that the cleaning of it could almost be impossible to see to and keep everything in pristine condition. It felt like, at times, the moment she'd finished cleaning and dusting through the whole castle, top to bottom, every single room, the rooms she'd cleaned first now had a layer of dust already and the cycle started again. She didn't mind the cleaning, it gave her something to do when she wasn't taking part in deals with the Dark One or seeing to her own deals. It helped distract her, keep her thoughts from drifting to other things…other people…that she was trying not to think of.

To think of something you missed made you long for it more, made you more tempted to seek it out, and she couldn't risk that.

Still, the dusting was the worst, because it meant needing to climb to all sorts of heights, move every single object, and half the time the dust blew into her face and made her sneeze. She didn't know how the servants did it in castles, though she supposed there were so many of them that they could each take a room and make that a designation for them to keep clean and cut down the work. She was just one person.

She was almost suspicious that the Dark One used his magic to make the castle dirty all over again just to watch her clean. He seemed to do that quite a bit, watch her, stare at her when he didn't think she would notice. But she always did. It felt like a prickling, a tingling, sensation whenever he would gaze at her for too long, it left her feeling…warm…for some reason. It was probably the way he looked at her that caused the…the tingling feeling. Yes, it was the way he looked at her.

For the first time in such a long while someone looked at her without suspicion or automatic hate and scorn. The Dark One looked at her with…awe, if she dare be so bold as to call it that. He looked at her like he was trying to understand her. She hadn't felt like someone wanted to do that in far too long. Years, really. It was…nice, it was a relief to have even one person look at her with something positive and curious in their eyes instead of ice and glares.

She shook her head, realizing she'd stopped her dusting while lost in thought, she really should focus on what she was doing.

"Has your feather duster become faulty, dearie?"

She gasped, spinning on the small chair she'd pulled up to get at the top of a dresser, and almost toppled off of it, the Dark One appearing instantly behind her to put a steadying hand on her waist while she managed to catch her hands on his shoulders keeping her from falling off entirely.

"You startled me," she breathed.

"Interesting," he murmured, gazing up at her.

"What is?"

"That I CAN startle you," he tilted his head, "I don't often manage it."

"I can usually hear you coming," she replied.

"Is that so?"

"Your song is unique, and I hear it quite loudly whenever you come near," her eyes narrowed slightly, "Unless you magically appear behind me…"

He giggled at that, "Sorry to disappoint, dearie, but I was standing in that doorway for quite a spell and you noticed nothing."

"Interesting," she mimicked.

"What is?" he took up the reversal.

"I do not often become quite so distracted," she mused, eyeing him, "It rarely happens."

"And when it does?" he inquired, "What does that mean?"

She was silent a long while, just looking at him intently, as though studying him while also weighing what she wished to say, "That I feel safe."

He blinked at that, "Come again?"

"I feel safe, here, with you," she repeated, elaborating a bit more, "I feel safe enough that I can allow my mind to wander without fear that I shall be attacked or seized, turned on."

"You trust I won't turn on you?" he tried to make it sound like she should, tried to make the words feel like it was a very real possibility that he would turn on her one day, when her usefulness was spent, he really did…

But somehow the words fell short of that, even to his own ears and so he knew they held the same small weight in her sharper ones.

The smirk that grew on her face was another indication that she didn't believe his threat at all, "I believe we have a deal," she reminded him, "And I believe you would be loathe to allow my reputation to hold more weight in the world of deal-making than your own. You would not throw away 300 years worth of deals by breaking your word to a mere Piper."

He wanted to counter that, come up with some loophole she hadn't thought of that would make her realize he very well could turn on her and still hold up the deal somehow. But he found he…didn't want to. It was more than just his reputation that kept him from speaking such words. There was just…something in his chest, something warm, that wouldn't let him even attempt to make her worry he would betray her.

"I do pride myself on my reputation," he remarked instead, "So it appears you are safe for now."

"For always."

"I wouldn't get that far ahead of yourself if I were you deaire," he warned.

"And I would remove the grip on my waist if I were you, Dark One," she shot right back.

He blinked and looked down at his hands, realizing that they were still resting on her waist, no, not just resting, gripping lightly, his thumbs seeming to be gently rubbing her sides without realizing it. He quickly stopped their motions, pulling back to move his hands behind his back. If he smirked at how the movement unbalanced her where she swayed to catch her balance back upright onto the chair, well, she should have let go of his shoulders as well.

"What has brought you to interrupt my cleaning?" she asked, not even seeming to care that she'd almost fallen over again.

He tried not to think that it was likely her belief that he would just catch her again if she fell.

He tried not to think that she would be right in that belief either.

"I have another use for you," he stated.

"In what scope shall I operate?" she stepped down from the chair, "Caretaker or partner?"

"Partner," he blinked, he'd answered that one rather quickly, "A young man shall be arriving shortly…"

"A possible client?"

"Quite the opposite, in fact. We've already had a deal, and he owes me a fair hand for it, yet refuses to uphold his part of the deal. And we can't have that, can we?"

Piper started to smirk at that, "Not at all."

"I have managed to gain his agreement in coming to the castle, to…discuss…the deal," he tapped his fingers together.

"And you wish me to sway him to give up his end of the deal to you?" she guessed.

"Oh no," he shook his head, "This man is…stubborn. He'll put up a good fight."

"Those are my favorite men to break."

"Sadly he is nearly deaf," he gave an exaggerated pout.

"Then what use would I be for assistance in this matter?" she frowned, shaking her head.

"There is…another way to break him, another…far more entertaining way to get him to do as he agreed."

"And what is that?"

"You once said that you could charm all manner of beast," he eyed her, "I want to see if your talent in that is as good as you proclaim."

"Better," Piper started to smirk again, "Merely name the fearsome beast and I can sway it to the most obedient of pets."

He giggled gleefully at that, "I was hoping you would say that."

~8~

Piper wandered through the woods, her pipe firmly grasped in her hand as she didn't wish for this to be a repeat of what had happened with the girl Mary. She did not want this beast she was after to surprise her, to attack. No, the time did not exist for that to happen. From what the Dark One had said, he would need the beast brought to the castle with all haste so she had to make sure that she could lure it in quickly and easily. And that meant finding the beast and getting it under her power before it even realized that what was happening.

It wasn't all that hard, compared to what many would think of such a mission. So many people were of the belief that the wild beasts that lived in the woods were beyond reasoning, that they were dangerous and single minded and would attack for no reason at all. And, for the most part, they would be correct. But if you knew how to understand the animals and how to handle them…even the most vicious once could be sweet as kittens. That said, the reverse was also true. She could turn animals into deadly attackers as well with the right emphasis in her songs.

There had been a time or two when a town turned on her, as many were wont to do, tried to cast her out without payment for her services. She was especially fond of the ones that only wanted the animals that had infested them cast out and didn't specify to destroy them. She'd taken the rodents of a certain town and turned them back on it after a particularly bad insult to, not just her, but her mother. NO ONE insulted her family and lived, no one. She'd called back the rats, lured them all to the town, and set them loose…but not as a mere nuisance, but as terrifying infestations. She'd set them loose, and they'd immediately run, not for the food that was stored through the town that would, undoubtedly, have caused a dilemma for the townspeople with the winter coming, but on THEM. She'd turned the rats on the people, set them to attack and bite and…feast. The adults at least, were in the greatest danger. It had been quite a sight, standing on a hill and watching the people fleeing the village, setting fire to the houses where the rats had managed to get a person down and latch onto them, piling on to eat them alive. The fires would spread, she'd known, spread to other houses. The town wouldn't burn down but a good portion of it would be damaged, a good portion of its population would be cut back, if not from the rats taking their victims for food, then the infections and diseases the rats would spread to the ones they'd merely bitten.

They deserved it though, they never should have insulted her mother, rest her soul.

She shook her head, looking up as she came to a large oak tree and paused, needing to focus on the matter at hand. Rats would have been quite the 'fearsome beast' to use against anyone, they could be true terrors with the right triggers. But from what the Dark One had said, this would require only a single animal to see the deal truly done and he knew exactly where one in particular resided.

She grinned to herself and closed her eyes, listening for a song. From what Rumpelstiltskin had said, this creature had a way of driving off other animals. It should be the only one in this area and all she had to do was listen and any disturbance in the silence, any at all, was likely the creature. Her head tilted to the side, hearing something in the distance and opened her eyes. She almost laughed at how quickly she'd found the creature before heading quickly in that direction. She slowed her pace only when she got near enough to hear the creature growling and snarling into the open air, the sound echoing over to her.

She lifted her pipe to her lips, starting to play a gentle melody, letting it carry on the wind towards the creature, through the trees, needing it to hear her first before it smelled or saw her. She waited a minute before she started to slowly and carefully make her way through the trees, playing on, a calming tune, a lulling song, one that should turn the creature docile for the moment…or at least less likely to attack her on sight. Animals could be tricky things, some reacted differently to one song as others did, sometimes it could take a bit to work out which tune was best for what animal, but she'd had relatively good experience with this particular melody and was confident it would keep her safe enough till she could get closer and observe the creature as it reacted.

She took a deep breath through her nose and stepped past the last bush that separated her from the creature, truly wishing she could laugh when she spotted it. It was sitting there, its eyes closed, swaying a bit to the tune. Its eyes snapped open however when she appeared, when the music grew to be right before it. It let out a small growl, moving onto its legs to stand, when she poured a bit more magic into the song, lulling it back to a calm. She slowly changed the melody to a more drowsy one, more like a lullaby and was very pleased when the creature responded by sliding to the ground and lying there, its head resting on its giant legs, its breathing softening and slowing as it started to drift to sleep.

Which was perfect.

She made her way closer and crouched down beside it, shifting a bit to play a particular melody with one hand while reaching out to gently pet the creature with the other. Sirens of the Sea could not always sing their songs when trying to lure men to their deaths, there was always a point where the singing stopped, where their voices couldn't be heard by mortal ears, usually once they were under the water, or if the lure ended up being done at the edge of a lake as with those Sirens. At some point the men would realize they were about to be drowned and their preservation instincts would kick in, it would try to snap them out of the haze…so a Siren would use other methods, more physical contact, to distract them, often a kiss, in which case their songs were distorted. They needed a way to keep the person following them even without the song playing. So, just before the moment of contract, the song would change, a small, minor change, but a certain tune that all Sirens knew, whether of the Sea or the Lake, that would…bind the person before them to them for the shortest of moments. It would link their will to the Siren, make them weaker, the physical contact needed to sort of hook the magic around that person's heart and mind, make them want to follow the Siren and do anything to please them…

It wore off relatively quickly.

For humans at least.

SHE had found that animals, when that particular melody was played, were far more receptive and eager to please. They became like her personal pet for an hour or so, but the more magical the creature, the longer the effect lasted. And this creature…she couldn't help but smile as her song came to a close, oh this creature would be the finest pet she'd ever had…

~8~

Piper wasn't quite sure if the Dark One would appreciate the entrance she made when she returned to the Castle, especially when he was right in the middle of trying to intimidate the man that was withholding his payment of the deal. She had thrown the doors to the main room open, and walked in, her boots muddy from her walk through the forest, some leaves stuck to her old brown cloak and hair, her clothes with a bit of orange hair on them, looking rather unkempt, and just sauntered right over to them, sitting down at the end of the table facing the men and putting her feet up on it only after pouring a bit of water for herself into a cup.

"And what is this?" the man in question let out an almost snorting scoff and it was clear whatever progress the Dark One might have made in getting to the man had been lost.

She looked over at him, eyeing him intently. He was darker of skin than others in the Forest, black hair that was shaggy, with a hint of black stubble. His clothing was white, fitted, long sleeved and long collared, with a deep red sash across his chest from shoulder to waist. There was a sword at his side. It wasn't a normal sword though, appearing more gently curved and thicker than the swords she'd seen in her life. The style of the clothing was a bit different than most of the Forest too, but she couldn't place where he might be from though she thought it entirely possible he was from some other realm that the Dark One was said to have access to.

She didn't much care to be honest. She didn't care where he was from or who he was so long much as that he was a man that had turned his back on a deal.

She looked at Rumpelstiltskin to see his reaction to her entrance, but he was glaring at the man with far more irritation than he could ever muster at her. It seemed his 'efforts' to intimidate the man hadn't been working all that well. Likely because the man was going deaf and couldn't hear what was being said and, if he wished to not know, all he had to do was look away from the Dark One, take in the room, and he'd have no idea what he was being threatened with.

"My Caretaker," Rumpelstiltskin muttered, looking over at her, "You're in quite the state, dearie," he observed her.

She blinked, almost swearing she'd seen a flash of concern shoot across his eyes before it was gone. She shook her head, knowing she was likely imagining it, and instead smiled, "Your errand took me farther away than we first believed," she said simply, "It was quite the walk back."

"And were you alone on your return?"

"Not at all," she smirked, earning a delighted grin from him in return.

The man that had broken the deal rolled his eyes at them and stood, "If that is all you have to say to me, Dark One, then I see our business is finished," he looked defiantly at Rumpelstiltskin, "I am protected by our deal, you cannot harm me…"

"I CAN certainly harm you if you break your half of it."

"And I shall not," the man smirked, "You shall have your payment, but…as you did not specify WHEN you wanted the payment…" he let out a long, mocking breath, "I suppose you shall have to wait, quite a while, to see the deal finished. But it shall be finished, one day."

Piper's eyes narrowed at that, understanding now why Rumpelstiltskin had requested her assistance in this. HE could not harm the man, but she could…though she knew he rather enjoyed handling his own deals. So he had gotten her to bring in the very thing that would force the man to finish the deal NOW rather than later. He couldn't harm the man…but that didn't mean he couldn't scare him into submission and, as he was partially deaf, it would have to be something whole and visible and real to get through to the man as words and music wouldn't work.

She did have to wonder how it had happened that the Dark One made a deal so open ended that a client had taken it and been able to twist it on him.

"I do believe," Piper called, setting her cup onto the table and placing her arms on the armrests, speaking louder to draw the man's attention to her, making sure he was looking at her as she spoke, "That you SHALL pay him this day."

The man's eyes were slightly narrowed as he stared at her lips, seeming to read what she'd said, "And what say have YOU in OUR deal?"

"I have nothing," she shrugged lightly, "Though I do believe my lovely pet will be able to encourage you to pay and pay now."

The man laughed at that, "If the Dark One himself could not persuade me to see my part paid now, there is no creature on this Earth…"

Piper had SO been hoping he would say that as she let out a shrill whistle, one that seemed to confuse the man but one he didn't react to, more curious why she'd whistled than affected by her doing so. She just looked over at the doors as the creature she'd hunted had appeared there in the doorway.

She didn't even need to look back when the man let out a strangled gasp and half a scream at the sight of it.

A large tiger, deep orange with striking black stripes, was padding into the room. It was larger than a normal tiger, two times as long, its eyes a glowing red, its claws infinitely sharper than those of any other creature. It seemed that, according to the Dark One, there had been a sorcerer once that had experimented spells and potions on all manner of beast, trying to make more deadly versions of them, infused them with magic to make them harder to kill…only he hadn't quite thought of how to restrain or control them…and they had torn him apart and ran off into the forest. There had only been a handful that had been created, all of them living on long past their intended lifespans, and one was the tiger growling at the man while making its way right over to her.

She reached out a hand, holding it over the air beside her and the Tiger moved to it, sliding to the ground and crawling forward so that her hand rested on its back, purring contentedly as she began to run her fingers through the bright orange fur, taking delight in how the man was gaping in utter horror at the sight before them.

A tiger, of all creatures, was what the man was fearful of…and she had just found the magically mutated version of his worst fear, even more monstrous and deadly than the common tiger he feared.

"What think you of our new pet?" she looked at Rumpelstiltskin, the man now positively beaming in glee.

"Oh, excellent specimen," he walked over, reaching out to touch the tiger…only for it to snap and growl at him threateningly, which just served to make him laugh.

"He is quite fond of me, is he not?" she turned her head to the man who was backing away, his eyes fixated on the tiger, his skin now ten shades paler than when she'd first seen him, sweat starting to collect on his brow. She glanced at the tiger as it continued to purr under her ministrations, "Animals truly are such easy beasts to control, and they become so…loyal," her gaze flashed up to the man again, "So eager to please their masters…what do you think he would do if you…upset me?"

The moment those words were spoken, the tiger's head snapped up, its eyes opening and focusing on the man as it growled low and dangerous.

Piper smirked, "Up," she commanded, and the tiger stood, "Prowl," she ordered, and the tiger stalked forward, his eyes set on the man that was now scrambling back towards the back wall, grabbing a chair to try and block the tiger from him, "Attack."

With a roar, the tiger lashed out, swatting the chair aside with its large paw, lunging at the man, its mouth wide, teeth bared, growling right in the man's face as it jumped at him, causing him to fall back against the wall, sliding to the ground as the tiger pounced on him, its nails digging into the man's shoulders to pin him down, about to snap right at his neck…

"Stop."

The tiger froze, its mouth open though slowly shutting, its head right in front of the man who seemed hardly breathing or moving save for the shaking of his body.

"As you can see," Rumpelstiltskin walked over to the man, peering down at him, speaking even though he knew that the man wasn't fully paying attention, his gaze too frozen in terror and locked on the tiger. So he leaned in more, putting his face right beside the tiger's, confident in Piper's control over it, making sure the man was looking at him watching his lips, "You pay…or you die."

"Th-th-the d-d-d-deal…" the man's voice could hardly be heard it was so soft, his words too shaking to be understood.

But Rumpelstiltskin knew what he was trying to say, "Oh, _I_ won't kill you," he smirked, "That WAS part of the deal, yes…but I never said anything about my caretaker or her lovely pet," he giggled as the man's shaking grew to be so much that his sword tapped against the floor, the man so overwhelmed by his fear he hadn't even thought to use it on the beast, not that he could, not that it would work, "So…pay me, what you owe…and you live."

"D-d-d-d-deal!" the man gasped.

"Wonderful," he smiled, leaning back, spinning on his heel to look at Piper a moment.

This time it was his breath that caught in his throat, at the sight of her. She was sitting at the end of the table, her feet up, like always, dressed in dirty, worn travelling clothing, not having wanted to risk any of the new outfits he'd given her on a trek through the woods and possible encounter with a magical creature. There was sweat and dirt on her brow and hands, her hair frizzing out, she looked a mess. But it wasn't that that caused him pause. It was the look on her face, the way she was sitting, her entire posture. She was relax, but on edge in excitement, her arms causally leaning on the armrests, but giving her a regal look. And her face…the smirk on her face, the darkness in it, the sheer enjoyment sparkling in her eyes at how they were toying with the man that had stood against him, how she was positively alight with the scene before her, controlling a fearsome beast so easily that a single word could cause it to do whatever she wished and how she was using it at the moment…

It was breathtaking.

He swallowed hard, internally shaking himself from those thoughts, she was his caretaker, his…business partner, of course she would find enjoyment in seeing a deal coming through, he felt the enjoyment too, that was what he was feeling now yes, it wasn't her it was just…the thrill of another deal being finished.

"If you would be so kind?" he gestured at the tiger behind him.

She gave him a small nod, "Back," she called and the tiger backed away from the man, "Come," she held out her hand.

Rumpelstiltskin would forever deny that he took a single step towards her at that command before he realized she was speaking to the tiger, her presence was just so commanding even without the magic she used on the tiger. Yes, that was the reason, her presence held an authority and power, a command behind it that would be hard for anyone to disobey.

But she wasn't speaking to him, more to the tiger that padded back over to her, so large that its face was level with the top of her chair. He watched as she reached out and touched its face with a tenderness you would not think to see from the Pied Piper.

"Well done," she commended the tiger, before glancing at him, "He lives?" she asked, sounding almost amused.

He blinked and looked back at the man on the ground…to find him unconscious and unmoving. He tilted his head at that before he giggled, "It appears he has fainted."

"Pity," she sighed, "I was so hoping for died from fright. I have yet to accomplish that with my magic just yet."

He smirked at that, "One day I have no doubt you shall."

"Yes…" she hummed, her attention returning to the tiger.

Rumpelstiltskin would, again, forever deny that he considered puffing the tiger away in a swirl of magic for driving the woman's attention from him.

"You have been a magnificent pet," she told the tiger, "But it is time to return home," she sounded almost sad to say that, a small frown coming to her face as well, "Go home."

The tiger turned and trotted out of the room, breaking into a run as it reached the doors, Piper watching it go sadly.

"I can give you a tiger," he offered, pulling her attention back, inwardly cursing himself for saying anything. She was his caretaker not…not his…friend…he shouldn't be offering her such a thing just because she was _sad_ , "You did well," he gestured back at the man on the ground as though for an excuse to have offered.

She shook her head though, "A tiger for a pet?" she scoffed as though it were ridiculous, "A tiger deserves to be free, they are too…majestic of creatures to be kept inside a cage."

He gave a small nod for that, "Go clean yourself up," he ordered lightly, "You're just giving yourself more to clean tomorrow by mucking up the chair and carpets."

Yes, that was good, divert back to her proper role, caretaker and minor business partner, nothing more.

She gave a curt nod and stood to go, pausing only when she reached the doorway to look back at him, watching her, "I shall clean up MY mess," she offered, "But I shall not clean up that," she nodded at the man.

He blinked as she turned and disappeared out the door, confused, before he looked down at the man on the ground and burst out in laughter, waving his hand to send the man back where he came from, reassured that his payment would be received quickly. For the moment though…he could only imagine what the reaction would be to the man's return when someone saw his state.

She may not have scared him to death…but he had done another action that tended to happen upon the very same end. His white pants weren't quite as white any longer it seemed.

A/N: Sorry this was a little late :( Bit of a long night/day, apparently my mother and brother both came down with the same bug so it's been a little tiring :( Hopefully they'll be feeling better today though :)

I hope you liked the chapter :) I wanted to sort of bring some sort of animal in here after the bear while also sort of hinting back to the last chapter in using someone's fears to get what you want ;) I can say we might be getting to the root of Snow's issue with Piper and Neal very soon ;)

Some notes on reviews...

I can sort of understand Hook in how he's acting sort of like he IS still a villain in wanting to get what he wants in whatever way possible, even if it means acting like a hero just to get Emma, even though being a real hero means NOT acting like that, it's a vicious cycle lol. But at the same time I feel like Emma also should have been a bit smarter about it and looked at how much other villains really _struggled_ to redeem themselves and seen something suspicious in how 'quickly' Hook was changing without 'relapsing.' I mean, if Regina could start changing for Henry (someone Emma could understand really genuinely wanting to be a better person for as the most important person in both their lives) but still struggle to make the right choices and still make mistakes, shouldn't Emma have wondered why Hook was having such an easy time of it? Or was she too blinded with it being HER that was changing him and ignoring the odd tones of it? :/ I can say that there may be a bit more Neal(Baelfire Neal) in Lyssa's story ;) I agree, Regina doesn't always do the right thing, but she seems to be genuinely trying to do better and make amends. I think the fact that she asked Belle's permission and help in dealing with Gold says a lot even if she took Belle's heart, I could almost see that being an off-screen thing once Belle agreed to help, we don't know if Belle did know before the event or had no clue because Regina erased her memory of it anyway. But even then I feel like Regina would have given it back and not just kept it had Gold not interfered too, and she seemed to really want to keep Belle's heart safe also and probably wouldn't have ever actually hurt her. And, in the grand scheme, Belle was really the only way to get Gold to back down, he made it clear that he cared about no one as much as he did Belle, not even Henry (or even if he did care about Henry equally, Regina couldn't bring herself to use Henry, a/her child, like that), so a threat to Belle was almost the last resort way of stopping Gold with the least amount of threat or damage or danger to others, at least to me :) We'll have to wait and see who Piper's heart might harden against and why though ;)

Piper definitely walked a line in the last chapter, I agree. I think it sort of almost is like how Hook said, if it's explained in the right way at the right time, Emma might understand. Surprisingly, David would probably be the one, if they found out, to be like 'she HAS a point and she made it, and no it wasn't the right way to do it, but I understand' lol :)

I was cheering for Gold, mostly because I REALLY wanted to know what he'd be like if he was free of the dagger but still technically the Dark One :) I feel like that could have been an amazing 4B, seeing what he might do and what the heroes would do about it :)

I agree, Hook and Snowing have a lot of similarities in this season. That was what I didn't like about the heroes in the second half of the season, they can do a very evil thing and call it 'good' because they're heroes and they did it against a villain and so it HAS to be good, even when what they did was really against an innocent. They did an evil thing because they were 'desperate' yet they condemned other people who did evil things because they were desperate or feeling something even worse than that :( Worse, almost, is that they do evil and it's hardly brought up or made into an epic consequence, because they're heroes, and no one talks about it. But if a villain tries to do good, really tries, they are never ever allowed to forget the evil they did in the past :( Heroes get away with murder and that annoyed me because they never let the villains 'get away with it' either :( Emma will open her eyes a little more to Hook and other things as the story goes yup ;) Piper might just be getting darker...we'll actually see in a flashback exactly why that's happening. But I can say it has something to do with Gold and her relationship with him ;) Sadly the story will likely be Captain Swan, but in a more off-screen thing or colored through Piper's eyes and she won't be likely to accept Hook or Emma's relationship as a good thing any time soon ;) I was SO excited about Merlin! I was really hoping that Colin Morgan would be able to pop in as Merlin for it, it would be amazing, but I don't think they'll go that route either :( Though...I can say that, the second they confirmed the Sorcerer was Merlin I immediately had to scrap a crossover story I was working on and revise it to be Doctor Who, Merlin, AND OUAT with Piper too ;) So we'll definitely see BBC's Merlin in a story crossing over with this story ;)


	9. Breaking Glass

Breaking Glass

Piper stood in the sheriff's station, sorting through a box of papers and files and pictures that Emma had placed before her, glancing up at Elsa as the woman did the same with another box. Emma putting a third one before herself, her back to Will Scarlet as he laid in the jail cell, STILL there. She wasn't exactly pleased to be there, not with Elsa there, having spent too much time by her reckoning with the woman the other night. But she had heard that Emma was going to be there early and she wanted to try and speak to her about Hook, about the date she'd gone on, and perhaps subtly warn about the Snow Queen that was stalking her, claim it was information just from a villain's perspective or something. But Elsa had been there, which she should have known would happen, and she did not feel comfortable nor did she think Emma would appreciate, her bringing up such subjects around someone else and another man.

…though it would have been interesting to see if Will would let something slip should she drop the right clues about Hook. She couldn't fathom why the man hadn't told Emma that her beloved pirate had been the one to bruise him and beat him in the first place.

Oh, no, she could guess. As though Emma would believe the man. He'd already proven himself 'untrustworthy' to Emma, and she had a rather bad habit of letting her personal feelings affect her 'superpower.' It seemed like it only worked when she was suspicious or looking to see if someone was lying to her. If she trusted someone, she didn't bother to look, so she missed the signs. She trusted Hook, despite her own vocal misgivings about it, and so she wouldn't believe anything Will said about the man, even if he was telling the truth.

So there was that, and she supposed Hook might have given the man a fright as well, threatened him perhaps. Whatever reason it was, his silence might prove more of a point in the long run. Hook would have had to truly scare the man, make him fear for his life, for him to remain this silent. And that would not bode well for Hook if that was revealed.

"Somewhere in here," Piper glanced up when Emma spoke, "There's got to be something on her."

"There has to be a better strategy," Elsa shook her head, "While we're reading files, my sister is out there somewhere. We have to confront this Snow Queen!"

"Confront her too early and you are sure to meet your ruin," Piper remarked dryly, starting to sort through papers, "You should never confront an enemy you do not know how to beat. Nor enter a battle without a strategy."

"I agree," Emma sighed, "If we could face her down right now, we would. Even IF we could, we'd still have to find her first. And, Elsa, we really DO have to be careful. This woman is tricky. She seems to know both of us, and we don't remember anything about her. And something tells me that that is not an accident."

"You think she took our memories?" Elsa breathed.

"I'm really good with names and faces. It was my job. She took them alright. The question is why," Emma shook her head and looked down at the box before her, "We need to find out what the hell she's up to."

"Paperwork, ahoy!" Piper grit her teeth and looked to the ceiling in irritation at the sound of Hook's voice entering the room, "Old city records from the mayor's office, per your request," he placed another box before Emma.

"Oi!" Will, thankfully, chose that moment to speak up, "Somebody's forgotten about me dinner! I'll have the bangers and mash."

Emma scoffed and turned to him, "You'll have the water and poptart," she held up a bottle of water and a strawberry poptart with a bite already taken out of it.

"Somebody's already had a nibble," Will pouted at it.

"I've had my shots," Emma held it up to him.

"What a relief," he muttered, but took the food anyway, "Now, I've served me time. So when will I be free?"

"When I say so."

Piper scoffed slightly at that under her breath.

"What?" Emma looked back at her, frowning.

"Nothing at all," Piper murmured under her breath, focusing on the box before her.

"Well," Hook glanced between them, his expression a bit more dark as he looked at Piper, but softened when he turned to Emma, "I'm off to take Henry sailing love, unless there's something else you want me to do here…"

"Make sure Henry wears his life vest, ok?" Emma turned to him.

"Befriending the son to get in with the mum?" Will snorted, "Yep, no one will _ever_ see through that."

Hook glared at him, "Why don't you keep your thoughts to yourself mate."

"He merely expressed what quite a few people are concerned about," Piper defended, she was…starting to like Will, he seemed to detest Hook as much as she and Gold did.

"What?" Emma frowned at that, "What concerns? Who has concerns about…"

"Well, Henry, for one, expressed that he was not comfortable or ok with your relationship with Hook, to a few people," Piper eyed Emma, knowing that the boy had expressly TOLD Emma himself that he wasn't ok with her and Hook just before Emma asked the man on a date. Henry had started to work in the shop after school, mostly just sweeping for the moment, but as she was often there, she had spoken to him at length about his feelings regarding Hook and his mother. He'd told her that Emma had asked him if he was ok with the situation, he'd said no, flat out said no, and added, more as a backtrack of a boy not wanting to upset his mother, he wanted her to be happy, yet Emma went and asked Hook out anyway, "And yet the date still went off…"

"Yeah, but he said he just wanted me to be happy," Emma shook her head.

"A mother always puts the needs of her child before her own," Piper remarked, her voice sounding light, as though she were commenting on the weather, absently going through more files, but the words themselves had an impact, "Unless you feel that Regina has so little needs that Henry's would naturally come first to her and you could put more on her than on yourself?" she glanced at Emma.

"I don't…"

"It would be true," she shrugged, "All Regina has had, by her own admission, is Henry. She, briefly, had Robin Hood, yet that has fallen through. She has no 'needs' to put above Henry's so his needs would be seen to by her. Why should his other mother put his feelings above her own and…"

"You're treading a dangerous line, Piper," Hook glared at her, his voice low and threatening.

"Says the man that did not DENY what our friend William stated," Piper shot right back, making Emma's gaze snap to Hook as though just realizing…he HADN'T denied it, just told Will to shut up.

"Hook?" Emma breathed, pulled from her momentary feelings of guilt that she HAD ignored the feelings of her son to pursue a relationship with the man, she had put her own needs and desires above her son's, to focus on the man who…really hadn't said he wasn't using her son to get to her.

"I like the lad," Hook tried to defend, "I enjoy spending time around him. And he expressed an interest in sailing…"

"He also expressed an interest in archery from a man he approves of and thinks is 'awesome,'" Piper added, recalling another tidbit Henry had told her, "Which is now impossible given the man who would have taught him is now fretting over a popsicle. Though I doubt either of you knew that."

"When…" Emma's gaze snapped back to Piper.

"When he speaks, Emma, I _listen_ ," Piper told her, "And I take his words to heart."

"Oh yes," Hook sneered, "And I'm sure YOUR boy was ever so pleased his mother was the true love of the Dark One."

Piper's eyes narrowed at him, "August was never forced to encounter me with the Dark One until he was a grown man and capable of understanding love, adult relationships, and did not depend on me any longer. Henry is but a child still. Unless you are trying to say he is no longer in need of his mother?"

"Ok stop!" Emma cut in, seeing things starting to get nasty, "You…go with Henry," she pointed at Hook, "You, sort the files."

It was…a coward's way, she knew, to just tell them to both stop and go about their business. But…they both brought up points…well…Piper had, points that she did NOT want to think of or process or even begin to consider right now, not with the Snow Queen and Anna and the ice wall and Marian and everything going on. She did NOT need to start wondering if she was being a good mother for dating Hook. She did NOT need to think about how her son disapproved, actually disapproved, but was trying to ignore how he felt for her sake. She did NOT need to wonder if Hook was actually using him to get on her good side.

She just…she didn't want to think about it.

She didn't want to know the answers.

So, for now, she was going to throw herself into this investigation, she was going to focus on Anna and the Snow Queen and…and when it was over, she'd deal with it all. She'd…she'd sit Henry down and really TALK to him about it. Till then…just…no.

Hook let out a long breath, "Right," he nodded, stepping over to Emma, "Goodbye," he leaned in to give her a peck on the cheek, but she held up a hand to his chest, pushing him back slightly to stop him, her eyes giving him an apologetic message that made him grit his teeth to see, knowing that it meant Piper's words had gotten to her.

He turned around, giving Piper the darkest look he could muster with his back to Emma.

He should have realized Piper wouldn't remain silent at that.

"If only your face could freeze in that villainous glare you are giving me right now," Piper smirked at him, "Emma, what think you of the murderous look on his face and dark intent in his eyes?"

Hook just stormed out of the room.

"Do you have to do that?" Emma sighed at her, "He's _trying_ to be better."

Piper let out a long breath, "If you knew the true effort he put into his attempts Emma, it would shock you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Emma frowned.

"Perhaps one day you shall see," was all Piper said, getting back to the files.

Emma was tricky to get through to, to push towards a realization. She was STILL waiting for Emma to realize the harm and true wrongness of her actions in the past. If she pushed too hard now, she would end up pushing Emma to try and defend Hook, to try and prove he was 'reformed,' perhaps even to stand by him in the next instance where he made the wrong choice for a hero. And that would not do to blind her even more to his true self just because she didn't want to admit she'd made the wrong choice in love.

"I was wrong," Will chuckled from inside the cell, his mouth full of the last bite of poptart, "You're alright."

Piper gave him a short nod for that, a small smirk on her face though Emma rolled her eyes.

"Emma?" Elsa stepped up, glancing between the two women in hesitation, not sure if she was interrupting whatever else they might want to say to each other, but the photos in her hand seemed rather important to ask about, "Look," she handed a small packet to Emma, "Why are there pictures of you mixed in with the city records?"

"Let's just say…when Regina was mayor, she abused her power a bit," Emma sighed.

"Ironic is it not?" Piper mused, moving to stand somewhat beside Elsa to look at the pictures upside down.

"What is?" Emma asked absently, sorting through them.

"Your mother becomes mayor and YOU begin to abuse your power."

"What?" Emma looked up at her sharply. Piper just nodded at Will in the cell, "I'm not…that's not…he…"

"Broke into a _library_ , drunk," Piper stated for her, "I have seen Grumpy do worse when drunk and barely sit in that cell more than an hour or two. Yet HE," she nodded at Will once more, "Has been in there over night, held through a handful of meals, and I do believe you yourself claimed you put him in there for the sheer fact that he disrupted your date…if David is to be believed," the man had told his wife that amusing fact and she'd shared it with Henry who'd spread it to her in the shop, that entire family had no concept of how to keep a secret though she supposed it wasn't quite a secret, "Explain to me how that is NOT an abuse of power? Rest assured, I have no qualms with if you should like to abuse it or not, it is your power to do with as you please, but I would not be so quick to proclaim Regina a 'villain' for doing the same thing you are and cast it in a different light merely because you are the 'hero,' do you not think?"

Emma opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to find an actual answer but was coming up short…

When Elsa gasped, "Emma look!"

They looked down at the picture that Emma had just finished turning to before Piper spoke to see an image of Emma in the ice cream parlor, seeming to be in the middle of arguing with the Snow Queen herself.

"It's…it's me," Emma breathed, startled, "And her."

"And you still don't remember any of this?" Elsa frowned.

"No," Emma shook her head, "But I know someone who may, the person who had the photos taken."

Piper let out a breath as Emma turned and hurried out of the office, Elsa rushing after her. She had just take a step to follow…when the phone rang. She let out a huff of annoyance and moved over to pick up the phone, "Yes?" she answered, not bothering to say it was the sheriff's station, no one was likely to call that line unless they WANTED the sheriff.

"Piper?" David's voice called on the other side, sounding confused, "I thought Emma…"

"Is seeking an audience with Regina at the moment," Piper answered.

"Oh," he let out a long, frustrated breath.

She closed her eyes, hoping she wouldn't regret this, "May I be of assistance instead?"

"You?"

She pursed her lips at that, "Would it make you feel better if I put it in the phrasing of a deal to be made?"

"No," he said quickly, "No, no I just…" he sighed, "I was calling to see if Emma might want to look after Neal for a few hours. I…I really need to get Mary Margaret out of the house, even just for a stroll through town, but she won't leave Neal unless he's cared for and Emma…"

"Would be the first to call," Piper agreed, "Would…I be an agreeable replacement?" she wondered, actually…hoping…he might say yes.

"You?"

"If you ask me 'you?' one more time…"

"Sorry," he laughed, "I just…it's not every day the Pied Piper offers to babysit."

She had to nod at that, that did sound rather laughable, "Then think of it as…Snow White's cousin, offering to watch her nephew."

"Yeah," David murmured, "That actually helps a lot more."

"What time?"

"Um…in half hour?"

She blinked at that, glancing at the time, it WAS starting to get dark already, "I shall be there."

"Thank you."

"It is no problem at all…I…should like to spend time with my nephew while he is still a babe."

"Still, thank you."

She nodded slightly, "You are welcome," before hanging up the phone.

"So…" Will called, sitting in the cell, smirking, "Any chance you'll let me out of this dungeon?"

Piper eyed him a moment, stepping closer to the cell, "I do this for the sole reason that you amuse me," she warned him, sliding the keys she'd subtly grabbed into the lock and opening it.

"Well thank you very much milady," Will gave an exaggerated bow.

"If anyone asks," she called when he dashed past her for the door, making him pause, "You broke out."

He scoffed at that, "Like I'm gonna tell anyone that I had to be LET out of a jail."

She shook her head, amused, as he ran out of the station. She glanced at the clock on the wall and smiled, heading out of the station, knowing Will likely wouldn't tell anyone that she'd let him out.

And really, if Emma HADN'T wanted him freed, she should not have left the keys just lying there.

Villains, they were so bad with temptation after all.

~8~

"Ooh, shhh," Piper smiled as she stood in the middle of Mary Margaret's apartment, Neal in her arms, the baby fussing only slightly.

"See," she could hear David whispering to her cousin on the other side of the room, not that he was being all that quiet nor was the room all that large that she wouldn't hear anyone talking in the same room as her, "She's got this covered. We wrote down all the emergency numbers. He's already been fed and changed and dressed up for bed. It'll be just fine."

Mary Margaret shifted a bit, glancing up at her husband, "Since when do _you_ trust her?"

"I…don't," he admitted, "Not 100 percent, I'll admit that, but YOU trust her don't you?"

"Of course," Mary Margaret said.

Piper faltered slightly in her swaying at that, at how quickly her cousin had spoken. It hadn't been a 'jump to defense' response but more of an answer one gave when they were trying to deny something or hide something.

"Of course I do."

"And if you do…then I will," David nodded, "I'll trust her with Neal. After all, she's a Siren right? She'd kill anyone that even tried to touch him that he didn't like."

"Half-siren," Mary Margaret countered absently, staring at Piper as she began to hum a gentle song to Neal, calming him more.

"Either way, if anything happens, Neal will be ok," David continued, "She'll keep him safe."

"I know that," Mary Margaret swallowed, "I'm just…nervous about leaving him at all. Between the curse and the wicked witch, we don't exactly have the best track record with our babies."

Piper frowned, her back to them, she could sense that that was true, but only partly so.

"He is going to be fine," he looked up as Neal cooed, reaching up to grab one of Piper's fingers, "And we need this time away. _You_ need it," he emphasized, moving in front of his wife, "Hey," he got her to look up at him, "So what do you say? You ready for our evening stroll?"

Mary Margaret looked back over at her son and cousin, "You're SURE you can handle this Rosie?"

"I shall be fine, Frosty," Piper nearly teased at the mention of 'Rosie,' "You shall only be gone an hour at most, yes? I can promise you I shall not step out of this room or apartment nor let anyone that would dare harm your child in. And, for once, your Shepherd is correct. I _would_ kill anyone who would even try to harm him with my bare hands if not my music."

Mary Margaret nodded at that, not seeming like she'd fully heard the threat, "Ok…ok," she turned to her husband, "Ok, let's…let's go."

"Ok," he smiled, stepping over to the door and taking her coat to help her into it.

"After all, the sooner we leave the sooner we'll be back right?"

Piper chuckled at how David rolled his eyes at his wife's remark as they stepped out of the door. She shook her head and down at Neal as he gazed up at her curiously, "We are finally alone little one," she said, with a softness not many would expect of the Pied Piper, but right now…right now she wasn't just her, she was the little boy's aunt, and right now…she was alone, with no one to watch her or judge her, to observe every little move she made with suspicion, just the innocent eyes of her nephew staring up at him, "What would you like to do?" she bobbed just a bit as she swayed, making him giggle, "You have…a very important name, Neal. You are named after your sister's love, your nephew's father. Would you like me to tell you of him? Tell you of the man who was Baelfire and became the Neal of your namesake? Hmm?" she smiled warmly as Neal seemed to cheer, waving his arms a bit haphazardly in what appeared to be an attempt to clap, "Well…I must offer you my apologies though, I know not much of him, not as much as I would like to have known. But…" she glanced at the door, "I DO know someone that could regale you with tales of him long into the night," her smile grew as there was a knock on the door, a familiar melody faintly drifting to her from behind it, "And here he is," she whispered to the boy, moving to the door and opening it, "Rummy," she greeted.

"Pip," he smiled, stepping in, "And how is the young prince this evening?"

"Excited," she answered as he leaned in, rubbing the boy's stomach a moment, allowing Neal to grab his finger as he had her own, "I…may have mentioned and promised certain stories for the night, about…about his namesake."

Gold looked up at her for that, "Did you now?"

She nodded, her heart warming at the tone of his voice, not disappointed or angry but more…touched, disbelieving even, "We have a deal."

He chuckled at that, "Teaching the lad about deals already are we?" he looked at the boy, "Well, most important thing to remember, always keep your deal," he warned the boy with a light tone, "And what stories in particular did your Aunt promise you? Eh? What would you like to hear?"

"I think he would enjoy any tale you were willing to tell," she gave him a soft look, stepping back to sit on the couch.

Gold looked at her a moment longer, observing her sitting there with the baby in her arms and was struck with an ache in his chest for the sight. She looked…like a mother, like what he imagined she would have looked like if August had been a child, what she might look like if fate saw it fit to bless two of the worst villains in the Enchanted Forest with a child of their own. He swallowed a lump in his throat at the emotions rising in him and moved to sit beside her, feeling a warmth spread through him as she placed the baby in his arms, in his lap, carefully. This…this wasn't just her letting him hold the child that had been named after his son, this wasn't just letting him hold a child…this was her, trusting him, with her family, with the newest, most innocent, most defenseless member…trusting him with the baby's life.

And he would not disappoint.

"Thank you Pip," he breathed, looking up at her, "Not just for this," he nodded at the child looking up at him with a smile, it wasn't just the trust she was putting in him, but…

"I know," she nodded, "You so rarely have someone to speak to of him," she murmured, "I know many tales, and we have both lost our sons. It…hurts, to speak of them when so few would listen, but him?" she smiled down at the baby, "He is new, he is fresh ears, he will listen."

It wasn't just the trust…it was the opportunity, the chance to talk about his son openly, to tell stories of him to someone that would really want to hear them. Henry had come to his shop, had said he wanted to get to know him more, because he was the last tie the boy had to his father. Yet he hadn't asked much of Baelfire. The others in the town…they hardly seemed to care or even remember that he HAD just lost his son, that Baelfire had died. They had barely given him a moment to grieve before coming to him about the Snow Queen this and Anna that and Snow Beasts and new hands and…they saw him as villain, he knew, as a monster incapable of loving.

They looked at him and didn't even consider how deeply he was mourning the loss of his son, they likely thought he didn't even care, that he felt nothing.

But he felt it, he did, so powerfully…and there was no one to speak to but Piper. Dr. Hopper, for all his 'forgiveness' and 'understanding' for villains, had yet to seek him out to offer grief counseling. Not that he would accept, but the man had sought out Regina repeatedly to discuss the traumas in her life…yet didn't seem to consider HE would feel anything either.

Perhaps if heroes cared as much as they claimed they did, even about villains, there would be less villains in the world.

He looked down as he felt a hand settle on Neal's stomach, just near his hand, and saw Piper rubbing the boy's belly gently, giving him an encouraging look to speak and tell whatever story he wanted to.

He leaned in first and pressed a kiss to her lips.

He didn't care, he didn't care if every single hero in the town didn't care about him…because Piper did, and that was all he needed.

If no hero would care, he knew at least one villain would. And, perhaps, after tonight, even though the boy was still so young, maybe one day Neal would come to care for him too.

~8~

Piper smiled as she watched Gold with Neal in his arms, gently rocking the boy back and forth, humming a lullaby of his own, before he gently set the boy in his cradle for the night, Neal completely asleep halfway through the lullaby. It was such a sweet moment, one she knew that, likely, she was the only person who had ever had the privilege of being witness to. From what he had told her of Milah, the moment he'd come back from the Ogre Wars alive the woman had thrust their son into his arms and had hardly been there a moment after that, leaving him to take care of the boy more often than not. HE had been the one to change Baelfire and clothe him, wash him, feed him, put him to bed. So many people would look at him and see the Dark One, see the vile imp that had tried to take Cinderella's child, and completely forget that he HAD been a father before, to a little boy, he had held a baby and been a father.

And it touched her heart deeply to see him with a baby in his arms, remembering his time as a father in putting Neal to bed, she had never wanted a child of her own with him more than in that moment. She put a hand on her stomach at that thought, one day…one day she would be a mother and he a father. One day.

She looked up when she heard the door open to see Mary Margaret entering with a bright smile…one that dropped instantly when she saw Gold in the apartment, standing right by her son's cradle, "What is he doing here?" she looked at Piper.

Piper frowned at how tense her cousin was, how rigidly she was standing there, how her gaze returned to Gold and hardened.

"Rose," she demanded, her voice more firm, "What is _he_ doing here?"

"Rummy came to assist me in caring for Neal," Piper answered, standing, "You wished him safe, he was doubly so with the both of us here."

"You invited the Dark One into my home to be around my son and didn't think to _ask_ me first?" Mary Margaret actually glared at her.

"There was no danger," Piper stated, "Snow, Neal was perfectly safe, content. We told him stories and put him to bed, all without incident. There is not a hair out of place on his head and…"

"Rose!" Mary Margaret shouted, making Neal whimper in his cradle, stirring.

Piper sighed, realizing this was NOT going to be a quiet conversation in the slightest and knowing full well that the boy had been keeping his parents up well into the night still, they needed the sleep and if that boy woke now he would never get to be. She glanced behind her, "Rummy will you watch over Neal as I speak with my cousin in.."

"No!" Mary Margaret snapped, her voice going deep, "We are NOT leaving my son alone with that monster!"

The room fell deadly silent as Piper looked back at her cousin, the woman's cheeks red in anger, her shoulders shaking as she seemed to be panting. But she didn't care, her jaw tensing, her lips pursing at what Mary Margaret had just said.

"Snow," Piper spoke, her voice low and deadly in a way that Mary Margaret had never heard before, "Hallway. _Now_."

Mary Margaret remained defiant, staring past her at Gold, but Piper strode forward and grabbed her cousin's arm, pulling her into the hall with her.

"How _dare_ you Snow…" she began.

But Mary Margaret cut her off, "How dare _I_? How dare YOU? David asked YOU to come and look after our son, NOT Rumpelstiltskin! Do you know how much it took to get myself to leave my son just so David could take me on his stroll? Do you know how much it took to let someone else watch over my child without wanting to run back to him? I _trusted_ you Rose, I trusted that he would be SAFE with you!"

"Did you?" Piper scoffed, "It did not seem that way when you repeatedly refused to let me so much as hold him. It did not feel that way when you shot down ever offer to watch the boy that I made to you. I do not understand Snow," she shook her head, "You shall have to explain it to me. You had no qualms with allowing me to hold him that night in the diner, yet the next morn you barely let me touch him. What changed? Was it Marian?" she asked, "Was it her words? Was it my naming myself a monster? What made your faith in me change so quickly?"

"Well you aren't exactly helping yourself by inviting people into my home while I'm not there, while my SON is, without my permission!"

Piper let out an angry breath through her nose, trying to calm herself, not wanting to shout at her cousin, never wanting to fight with her but she was not making it easy, "Then I apologize for not asking your permission first Snow, but I do believe you are making a far bigger deal of this than necessary…"

"A bigger deal?" Mary Margaret scoffed, "A bigger…that man is the reason I lost _both_ my children! _He_ is the reason Neal was _ripped out of my arms_ the moment I got to hold him! He is the reason Regina cast the curse that forced me to send my daughter away through a wardrobe to god knew where alone and unable to see her for _28 years_! If you think I wanted him anywhere near my son ever again…" she shook her head, too angry to form coherent sentences, all she could think about was the night at the diner, how Marian was shouting about monsters and Piper was remarking so easily about what it meant to be one, how she'd looked over and seen Neal in her arms...with Gold right behind them and all she could see was the man standing there with Zelena in the same position before they'd disappeared with her child, "And then you put my child right into his arms!"

And THAT was the problem. Piper had fought to keep Neal from _Zelena_...she doubted her cousin would fight to keep Neal from the Dark One, and she'd proved her right, she'd put her son right into Rumpelstiltskin's arms, where no baby ought to EVER be.

"Need I remind you Snow White, that the Dark One is also the reason you got your two children BACK!" Piper retorted, realizing the reason Mary Margaret hadn't wanted her to watch the child or be alone with it was because she didn't trust Gold around it, "Regina cast that curse, SHE is the reason you lost your daughter. Zelena wanted to sacrifice your son, SHE is the reason you almost lost him. And, had it not been for Rummy, for his failsafe in the curse to break it, for his efforts thwarting Zelena, you would have never had your daughter back and your son would be dead!" she took in a deep breath, "I am sorry to be harsh, Snow, but you wish to point fingers that he is this great bloody _evil_ …"

"He's the DARK ONE, Rose!"

"And Regina is the EVIL Queen! Which one has Evil in the actual NAME?! I thought you, of all people, would understand that DARK does not equate EVIL!" Piper roared, cutting off her cousin, "Yes, Rummy aided Zelena in stealing your son, but he was being controlled by the Dagger! And that will NOT happen again."

"It shouldn't have happened in the first place," Mary Margaret tried to speak calmly, though her voice was shaking in rage, "You swore up and down that we were all safe because YOU had the dagger. And then you lost it. And Zelena got it, and SHE had the Dark One on her side. Fine, yes, he was being controlled, but if it happened once, Rose, it COULD happen again! And then what!?"

"Then I would use his heart to stop him as I did last time," Piper told her firmly, "You do not seem to grasp the fact that, unless someone possesses the dagger and commands it so, Rummy is NO danger to you or our family Snow!"

"All he's ever done is PUT our family in danger!" Mary Margaret argued, "Me, Charming, Emma, Henry, YOU," Piper opened her mouth to argue against that, to remind her cousin that she had gone to the Dark One willingly because Regina had developed a vendetta against Snow White, when Mary Margaret plowed on, "His own son is DEAD Rose, I do NOT want my son to die too! I just want my son to be safe!"

"And he _was_!" Piper shouted, not even about to touch how low a blow bringing up Baelfire's death was, because it seemed that, even though it had been HER fault, her cousin still viewed it as being too much the Dark One's fault, that if he hadn't been in her life or gained her love, it never would have led to the boy's death, "He was perfectly safe and content before you started shouting like a mad woman just because I invited my true love to come and _babysit_! I do not see the problem with that when Emma has her one-handed parasite lurking around him as well!"

"Hook's a _pirate_!" Mary Margaret explained in a yell, "HE," she pointed at the door, "Is _the Dark One_!"

"And he is a 'monster,' right?" Piper nearly rolled her eyes at that, mimicking what Mary Margaret had just called him, "I can assure you Snow I am FAR more a monster than he is and yet you claim to trust ME around your son. Or do you not any longer?"

"Yes!" Mary Margaret raged, "Of course I trust _you_!"

" _No you don't_!" Piper shook her head, her use of a shortened word throwing Mary Margaret into silence, knowing that her cousin only started to slip in her speech when she was truly upset, "And that is what it boils down to, doesn't it? If you trusted me, Snow, you would _trust my judgment_. You would trust my heart, my love. You would trust _me_ when I say that Rummy would NEVER harm our family. Yet you have admitted yourself you want him nowhere near the child you named after HIS son! Despite what he has done _for_ you, you do not trust him, and in not trusting him, you fail to trust _me_ as well. After all I have ever done, give up, and endured for YOU, in your name, for your safety and protection…you are actually failing to trust me now! And that is a fact. _You don't trust me_!"

"You're right!" Mary Margaret glared, throwing her arms out, "You're right, I DON'T trust him. And I don't trust _you_ when it comes to him!"

The silence that fell in the hallway was almost deafening.

How wide Mary Margaret's eyes grew when she realized what she'd just said to her cousin seemed almost impossible.

"Rose…" she breathed, shaking her head, almost unable to believe she'd just said that, that she'd just told her cousin that she really didn't trust her, despite all she'd done to keep their family safe, "I…"

But Piper shook her head, actual tears in her eyes that made Mary Margaret feel like she'd just been stabbed in the heart to see and know she'd caused, "You have said enough," she said, her voice shaking as she reached behind her and knocked only twice on the door.

"Rosie, I didn't mean…"

"I have nothing more to say to you tonight, Snow White," Piper stated with such forced formality that Mary Margaret flinched. Piper didn't even look back when the door opened and Gold stepped out, "We shall take our leave of you. But please, _do_ feel free to do a thorough examination of your son, since you find me such a negligible caregiver and deplorable aunt that I could not possibly have taken proper care of him in your absence. After all," she stepped up to her cousin, staring her dead in the eyes, "I am one of the 'monsters' that should not be around children am I not?"

Mary Margaret opened her mouth to plead with her, tears falling from her eyes, but Gold, having heard every word that had been shouted through the door after he cast a small soundproof charm on Neal's mobile so the child would sleep well, threw up his hand, causing them to disappear in a swirl of smoke.

David stepped into the hall from the stairs only a moment later, frowning when he saw his wife standing in the hall, staring ahead of her, with tears trailing down her cheeks, "Mary Margaret?" he hurried over to her, "What happened?" he glanced into the apartment to see Neal sleeping peacefully, and back to her, "What's wrong?"

Mary Margaret just shook her head and stepped closer to him, hugging him tightly as she sobbed into his chest, the full weight of what she'd said to her half-siren cousin hitting her, what she'd implied about her…

She'd made a horrible, horrible mistake.

~8~

Piper sighed to herself as she opened the door of Gold's home, blinking in surprise when she saw who was standing on the doorstep, "Emma?"

"Hi," Emma offered, shifting in discomfort, "Um…I know it's late," she glanced at her watch, wincing at just HOW late it was, "And I…you're probably busy but…" she let out a breath, "Regina and I tracked down the Snow Queen and we had a fight…"

"You and the Snow Queen?" Piper tensed, if that woman harmed Emma in _any_ way…

"Yeah, but not…not a real one," Emma shrugged, "She could've done more damage but she didn't, it was…the fight was more Regina and I."

"Did SHE harm you?" Piper's eyes narrowed.

"What? No," Emma shook her head, her eyes widening slightly, "Wow you are _really_ protective…"

Piper let out a small breath through her nose at the irony of what Emma had just said. And it really was ironic. Snow White implies she was not protective enough, that she was more a danger to the family than a protector. And Snow White's daughter finally realizes just HOW protective she really was of the family.

"You are my family Emma," she told her, "I am a Siren, _half_ -Siren, it comes with the territory I am sorry to say."

"Right," Emma nodded slowly, "No, no Regina was fine. As fine as an angry, bitter Regina could be, but…she said something to me that got me thinking. I think we might have resolved her grudge against me for Marian, and she said that…that I was wrong about her understanding me."

Piper frowned, "I am not following."

Emma winced at that, realizing she was really going about this badly, "I said that I was in Storybrooke and I had my family, my son, friends, and…and things, but that I…I felt like I also had someone that had magic and knew what it was like to be me in Regina, that she understood what it was like to be rejected and misunderstood and my family didn't. She…she said, well she said something about a 'damned truce' which I didn't get, but then she told me that I was wrong…because my family DID know…that YOU knew," she looked at Piper intently, "And I realized…I _don't_ know much about you, and I _should_. You're my aunt and all you've ever done is protect me and look out for Mary Margaret and Henry and Neal…and even David…"

"I _did_ torture him a handful of times," Piper remarked, trying to make Emma feel less awkward to be talking about her feelings.

Emma gave a weak chuckle at that, "But…she said that you would understand me better than she could, what it was like, the…the rejection and misunderstanding and…I guess what I'm trying to say is…" she took a breath, "I'm sorry, that I never really tried to get to know you or…or understand you. I did to you the same thing I always hated other people doing to me. I kept rejecting you and not bothering to get to know you and it's not fair that I accept Mary Margaret and David as my parents but not…not you too. And I don't want to keep doing that. I…I want to get to know you…Aunt P."

Piper smiled at that, a genuine smile that Emma had seen so rarely that she felt almost proud and…and happy that she had finally done something that earned her a smile like that, "I would like that very much Emma."

"I um…if you have time…"

"For you Emma, for my family, I have all the time in the world."

"Good, cos I um…I brought some things with me," she nodded at a box she'd set beside her, "It's…its of my past, in the system. You always said that you were looking for me and you would have adopted me the second you found me. I just…I wanted to share that part of my past with you that you missed. And I…I want to learn about your past too. I'll admit I haven't…I'm not like Henry, I haven't read through every story in his book hundreds of times and I honestly can't say if I even looked at your story in it. But…I'd rather hear it from you. I get the feeling you'll be a lot more honest than a fairytale book."

"Oh undoubtedly," Piper stepped aside to let Emma into the house. It wasn't like she was going to get restful sleep that night either, and Emma clearly seemed to want to start as soon as possible, and she would not begrudge her niece something like this. And, after the rather bad row she'd just had with Mary Margaret…she could use someone from her blood-family around her, someone that still trusted her.

"Hey?" Emma called, looking up from where she'd set the box down on the coffee table of the living room, staring at Piper who was standing in the archway of it, not moving, "You ok?"

"Fine," Piper stated, moving to sit beside her.

"Oh no," Emma shook her head, a small smirk on her face, "If we're gonna do this, we're gonna start with the truth."

Piper gave her a small smile at that, though Emma could see that it was tired now, almost exhausted really, there was…there was even a bit of redness to her eyes, like she'd been crying but that couldn't be.

Piper let out a long breath, "Your mother and I had a bit of a row before. Words were exchanged."

"Bad words?"

"Nothing your brother could hear with his virgin ears."

"You…um…you wanna talk about it?"

"Not particularly," Piper remarked, "It is still rather…raw…"

Emma frowned at that, wondering just what could have possibly been said that PIPER of all people wasn't willing to talk about it. She couldn't imagine her mother saying anything that would actually upset someone like Piper so much that she might have been crying from it. Snow White could NOT muster that level of malice to make the Pied Piper cry, she was sure of that. But…whatever it was, it had to be big for Piper to have felt raw from it.

"May we focus on you, just for this evening, Emma?" Piper glanced at her.

"Yeah," she nodded, "Believe me, I get not wanting to talk about feelings and…bad memories."

Piper frowned, seeing her gaze drift to the box, "If these contain such memories, we do not have to speak of or look at them."

Emma smiled at her for that, "Thanks but…" she took a breath, "This is…what's left of my childhood. A childhood that I could have had with you or…mom…if things had been different," she nodded, reaching into the box and pulling out a random video camera, "I haven't watched this since I recorded it," she fiddled with it, opening the side of it and rewinding the footage.

Piper took that as a sign that she could look into the box as well and pulled a small pile of pictures out, "This girl…" she murmured, seeing a blonde girl that could only be a teenage Emma, and another girl with darker coloring, black hair and brown eyes smiling beside her.

"Just an old friend," Emma tried to wave it off, playing the video on the camera, the volume quite low, watching as she and the girl, Lily, just made faces and laughed.

Piper nodded and set the picture down, not saying another word.

Emma blinked at that, staring between the picture and to Piper, "Thank you," she said when she realized Piper wasn't bringing it up or asking her or pushing her to talk about it.

"As you said," Piper smiled, "I 'get that,' we shall only _talk_ of what you are comfortable talking about."

Emma nodded, looking down at the camera when a different voice spoke, to see what looked like her standing in a hallway, a boy teasing her while another was holding the camera, "Hey, look what the new girl brought with her!" the boy behind the camera shouted.

"Was that one of your foster homes?" Piper inquired, leaning over to observe the scene, glancing at Emma with a frown when she saw Emma staring at the small screen in confusion.

"I guess…" Emma murmured.

"You do not sound certain," Piper observed.

"Because I don't remember any of this," Emma shook her head, watching the footage play, her eyes widening as another, actually familiar voice spoke.

"Give it back, Kevin!" a woman ordered from off screen, "The camera is Emma's, not yours."

"Oh my god," Emma breathed, staring in shock as the owner of the voice walked into the frame…

And she saw the Snow Queen, dressed in modern clothing, speaking with her younger self, "We respect property in this house, Emma."

Emma paused the footage as the Snow Queen walked towards the camera, her face filling the frame, leaving no doubt in her mind that it was the same woman that had been lurking about Storybrooke.

Piper pursed her lips at that…

Damn.

A/N: Bit of a long note, but touches on Piper and Snow's confrontation and Piper's comments to Hook and about Henry:

And now we see the true reason for Snow's hesitation :( Poor Piper. I feel like it's always hard to separate things when it comes to family. Like, they're family, you look at them and see them in a different way than someone else. Snow knows that Piper had done terrible things in the past, likely far more gruesome things than the Dark One, but it's her cousin, it's her baby cousin, it's Rose Red buried in there. Gold isn't related to her, Gold has always been 'the Dark One' to her, and Gold was behind her losing her children twice before. She can't quite see past the family ties to see that her cousin is likely a greater monster than Gold is, because to her Piper is still her cousin, whereas Gold is still the Dark One. Gold was behind her losing Emma and Neal, Regina was only behind her losing Emma so she could forgive it a little more.

Snow does not trust Gold either, and that hurts Piper. Because it means Snow doesn't trust HER judgement and trust in Gold. It's different, in Piper's mind, how she doesn't trust Hook with Emma because she's been privy to see how Hook still has his villainous streak and is lying to Emma's face about things. She sees no reason for Snow to doubt Gold in the sense that he would truly and willingly harm her family permanently. From her point of view, and the view she feels Snow should be able to see, Gold has always protected them, in the long run, helped them and done what he could to keep them safe, for Piper. It feels, to her, like Snow is saying that, despite all of it, she doesn't trust Gold and, by extension, doesn't trust Piper either. And for a Siren to have her family question their loyalty and care...it cuts her deeply :(

It also sort of applies to the term 'monster.' Like Piper and Gold will call themselves monsters, they understand each other and they know that the term, in reference to each other, is more of an understanding that that is what everyone else sees them as, it's said with an understanding that THEY don't see each other in the same context. Others use it in the absolute worst way, they understand that there are things others don't know about what they've done or why. When others use it, it doesn't bother them, because they don't care about other people's opinions. When they use it for each other, it doesn't bother them, because they know it's not directed at them as an insult or malicious. But if their own family, the people closest to them use it...it's different. Snow calling Gold a monster and using it in the exact same context as everyone else, THAT hurts, because it always hurts more when it comes from family. The heroes might have used 'monster' in the past, in shock or in passing, but how Snow is using it here, it's different to Piper's ears and it's hurting more than it should because it's coming from Snow :'( When Snow calls Gold a monster in that context, Piper is hearing it as Snow also calling HER a monster, and we've seen from flashbacks that was one of her biggest fears, that she would become a monster in her cousin's eyes :'(

Might be a bit evil to say but...this chapter isn't even the TOP angst moment of the story }:)

On another note, I sort of wanted someone to point out that Hook actually didn't deny using Henry to get to Emma in the show, he really just told Will to keep out of it but never said 'I wouldn't' or defend himself. I thought that was a telling moment that sort of no one really picked up on in the show, which was odd because Emma should have jumped alert at the mention of her son :( I also sort of got a little annoyed at Emma as well in the general theme of heroes being hypocrites in this season, she remarks that Regina abused her power as mayor, yet SHE was abusing her power, in a smaller way, as sheriff in how she arrested Will and kept him detained for a longer time than necessary and actually said to him that he was in jail because he ruined her date or something :( Piper has no issue with the abuse of power, so long as it's called what it is and not someone trying to deny they're doing the same thing a villain would or that it's not villainous just because a hero's doing it so I felt like she'd comment on it in an almost 'I'm proud of you' way for Emma but also trying to make her aware that she needs to call it what it is ;)

The Henry comments as well, I can't see a kid like Henry, who's obsessed with heroes and things, NOT wanting archery lessons from THE Robin Hood. And, by Henry's own words, he thinks Robin (and may imply the relationship he has with Regina) is awesome. When Emma, in the episode, asks Henry, before she asks Hook out, if he's sure he's ok with this, he said no. Which could mean he's not comfortable or ok with his mother dating (which is odd since he was ok with Regina dating) or he's not ok with it being Hook she's dating. Either way he wasn't entirely happy with the situation and I just felt like most people would take their children's feelings into consideration more if they flat out told them they were NOT ok with them dating or the person they were dating, even if the child backtracks and says just be happy, if Emma wants to be the mother she feels she deserves to be in Henry's life, I wondered wouldn't she back off a bit on Hook till Henry was ok with it? It could stem from Emma not having been the 'real' mom in raising Henry that she doesn't feel that same way about a child's opinion on things, but it struck me as something Piper would latch onto and comment on because Henry wouldn't say it that clearly or in a way where Emma realized he really wasn't fully ok with it all.

Some notes on reviews...

Hmmm...I'd say I like SwanFire, I feel like it had potential and if the writers gave it enough time to really get into Neal's head, it would have held up better in the show :) I like SwanQueen as a more platonic/friendship than a couple :) For Gold though, hmm...I actually kind of thought the Cora/Dark One dynamic could have been interesting to see :)

Nope, not quite Aladdin ;) I tried to keep it vague incase the character I picture the man being ends up being used in the show in the future ;) I feel like I'd enjoy Emma more if she was more mature in how she handles Hook, I agree she's acting a little too in love in the show when she's never been that open and expressive or allowing it to cloud her judgement before :/ The way she kind of just swooned into his arms in the finale when Henry rescued her and stared up at him with that odd smile felt a little too not-Emma-like to me. I would have liked her to have had time to heal from losing Neal (and even Walsh) before starting anything with Hook. It really made me sad that she kissed Hook in Neverland like a day after she thought Neal died and said she loved him. I think the writers said they were only in Neverland a week so it felt really fast for her to just give in and kiss Hook like that :/ I would SO stop with the split season arcs too! :) I feel like they cram way too much into 11 episodes and it really takes away from building up moments with the characters into a believable pace :) I think if they'd planned it out more, the Frozen/OZ arc could have been amazing, but they overdid it and forced way too much on us. Like just about every single flashback in the start of Season 4 was Frozen and it got tiring after a while :( I would have probably erased Zelena or at least made her story less 'oh here's ANOTHER member of Henry's family to add to the tree' and made her just genuinely wicked. Like she was in Oz when the Curse hit, saw this land for the taking, and took over...then didn't want to give it up when the others came back and the only real threat to her was Regina and Gold or something. It would have been interesting to see someone like Cruella who's just a truly evil person on the inside as a villain without a 'touching/heartbreaking' backstory. I can say Piper would find someone else besides Emma in the AU, but I can't say who ;) That's a lot of stories planned! I wish you the absolute best on all of them! ^-^ And if you ever decide to revisit the idea of a crossover, just let me know, I'm usually very good about letting people use an OC for something like that if they give even a little line of credit about where the OC came from ;) But I really do wish you the best on your stories! :)

It would be very cool to see Merlin as a young man when they're all expecting this old man with a beard :) Or if he was somewhat immortal and appeared young, I could see Regina and Gold making comments about his age and him just constantly going 'I'm older than the Dark One you know' :)

I'm curious what Regina would say to Belle and vice versa too :) It probably won't end up being a big blow out though :/ Regina would likely say 'you agreed' and how she was safe and how it was actually sort of a kindness to erase Belle's memory of what she made Belle say to Gold. But Belle won't be happy her heart was taken and she had no idea either so it'll be something ;)


	10. Stressed and Strained

Stressed and Strained

 _The Missing Year..._

Piper quietly made her way down the halls of Regina's castle, not seeing anyone save a guard here or there on her trek. Not that she was really expecting anyone to be there, it was the dead of night and likely that no one else would be awake at such a godforsaken hour. SHE shouldn't have even been awake but…it was too much, everything was too much at the moment and if she had to spend one more night in that burning room she was going to kill someone in the castle, she was sure of it.

She let out a breath, rubbing her forehead, no…no she wouldn't kill anyone, not even that Little John behemoth that kept making snide remarks about her and how they ought to not even let her within sight of the children every time he saw her.

She would not kill anyone, for Snow, that was what she had to concentrate on, do not kill any of Snow's subjects.

But it was getting more and more difficult. There was so much going on and…she wasn't sure she could handle it.

Snow was pregnant, there was a wicked witch trying to attack them at all sides, Regina and Robin Hood were bickering like children, David was constantly asking her questions about raising a boy as he was utterly certain that this time, unlike last time, it WOULD be a boy, the parents whispered about her, the children were curious about her and kept trying to get near her which only infuriated the parents, Bae was dying somewhere, Rumpelstiltskin was the captive of the witch who also had his dagger, Pinocchio still didn't know who she was, and just…

She was tired, she was so incredibly tired but every time she slept she ended up in the burning room. She wouldn't be able to keep hiding the burns on her arms and legs from Snow forever. She could usually handle the room, had been able to handle it better in the World Without Magic, there was no magic there, the burns never happened there. But they were in the Enchanted Forest now, and the magic was very real and so long as she didn't move much the flames didn't lick her as badly. But she was tired and overwhelmed and…scared.

She could admit it to herself at the very least even if she never let anyone see past her mask, not even Snow, but she was scared. There was just so much going on and so much that was uncertain…she didn't know what to do to make it better or to stop it. She could hardly talk to Snow or David, they were frantic over their own child and actually getting to raise it, she was not THAT good of friends with the Evil Queen to speak of something like this, and the only other person there that she would have turned to for any semblance of comfort had been near driven insane and was being detained elsewhere regardless.

She had no one to speak to. She had nothing to do to keep her mind off of things. No one in the castle trusted her due to her relationship with the Dark One, no one trusted her as a guard or a lookout or a patrol or a scout, it was only by Snow's grace that she was even allowed on the council meetings. And the one thing that she had that could help her relieve her tension, the one thing she still had, she wasn't allowed to even touch really without the castle getting up in arms.

Her pipe was still in her boot, she would never part with that, but…she felt restricted, shackled even. If she so much as touched her pipe let alone brought it to her lips, the guards would put their hands on their swords, the adults would hide their children behind them, conversations would stop nearest to her. If anyone stumbled upon her, even in private, even in her own rooms, playing the pipe, even without magic behind it, they would immediately begin questioning her about what she was doing and playing and who she was trying to control and for what purpose. As though she couldn't control when she actually USED magic in her music instead of just playing music for the relaxation of it.

It was maddening!

Her music was the only thing she still had left that was hers and that should have been something she could turn to when she needed it.

Snow was busy running the kingdom and preparing for the baby, Rumpelstiltskin was locked away, Bae was gone, Pinocchio was a child no one would let her near, Emma and Henry were trapped in another realm…her music was the only companion she had left…and she was being forced to restrict when and where she played.

It was getting suffocating in the castle, yet she couldn't leave or risk the Witch attacking her and using her as bait against her cousin exactly as she'd feared Regina would do to her in the past. It was making her antsy and restless. She was nearing the end of her wits about it all and she just…she wanted it to stop, she wanted peace. She knew that her reputation was a foul one, she knew she was seen as a villain and a monster, something she never denied, a creature even now that people knew she was also Rose Red, the half-Siren princess, queen of the wasteland that had once been her kingdom. She knew no one would trust her, expected it even…

She just hadn't expected it to be this stifling to be able to go absolutely nowhere without eyes watching her.

It wouldn't have been so bad if the entire population of Storybrooke wasn't residing in the castle and the surrounding small village. They were all crammed in there because of the Witch, space was scarce, privacy almost nonexistent. It wouldn't have been so bad if it had been like a normal castle, with the royals and visiting guests, tutors and other nobles given rooms while the servants lived in the village and only came to the castle to do their duty. Every single person, no matter who they were, was living in the castle now and it was cramped.

She thrived on solitude and quiet, on peace and isolation…and there was so much noise! The nights she actually felt tired she could hardly sleep because of the songs of everyone in the castle echoing up to her. Normally the songs would fade, they always faded after she'd met someone, the more time around them the more it became a faint buzz in the back of her head. But large groups…that made it hard to get to know an individual song, and there were so many people she doubted she'd be able to meet them all if she met one a day for a year. It became a noisy cacophony when the world around her was silent as in the night.

And the nights she was just too exhausted to mind the song, the nights she near passed out she was so utterly spent…she was back in the burning room, alone, and trapped, feeling the flames dancing around her, taunting her, haunting her.

If this continued much longer without any sort of relief she was sure that she might actually weep from the frustration of it all.

She was not used to this. Even as a child she'd always had her mother and father and Snow to turn to for help and support, she'd known the servants and their songs and hadn't had so much noise around her. As an adult she'd been alone, yes, but travelling between kingdoms and towns and villages, on her own in the woods more often than not, with less sounds and more the tunes of nature which was calmer than around humans. Even when she'd gone to the Dark One, she'd been in a castle with just him, grown to be able to depend on him, open enough to turn to him when she needed help and support. And then there had been the magicless realm, and the songs were fainter even with the other noises of the realm being louder. She'd had August then, a little boy to care for. And back to Storybrooke with her family.

For the most part she had always had someone there that she could turn to and rely on, even if that person was herself. And now…now she wasn't even sure she had THAT. What had happened with Baelfire, it had shaken her more than anyone would care to notice. That had been her Siren instincts getting the best of her, pushing her and consuming her with thoughts of rescuing her mate, needing to get him back, needing to be reassured that he was alive. She had let that part of her get the best of her and Bae had suffered for it.

How could she trust herself after that? After she'd let herself fall so far into her instincts that she had as good as killed her true love's son?

She couldn't.

And so she had no one to turn to now.

And it was wearing at her.

So she walked on, roamed the castle halls till the sun began to peek through the forest and into the sky…and then she returned to her room to wait for Snow to come collect her for breakfast as the girl loved to do…with David in tow and half the Dwarves following behind and Red Riding Hood beside her. She returned to her room to wait to put on another mask for the day ahead, it would just happen all over again anyway.

~8~

"…heard that she got her boy killed."

Piper closed her eyes tightly, her lips pursing as the whispers drew nearer to her, not that they were actually whispers, but more a quiet speaking. The ones talking didn't seem to realize she was sitting in the window at the end of the long corridor and staring out at the forest in the direction of the Dark Castle. It wasn't anything she hadn't heard before but…she hadn't had a good night or a good morning. She'd been in the burning room and she'd just…snapped.

She'd gotten so angry about being there that she'd grabbed the few objects that were in there and tried to smash them against the walls, had raged against the room…but nothing worked. All it served to do was burn her up the length of her arm to the point where she'd had to sneak into the Dwarves' rooms and steal a salve from Doc to use with the binding she'd made for her arm. Worse yet, Snow had moved to link arms with her on the way to breakfast and grabbed her bad arm, making her hiss and swear in such a manner that Blackbeard himself would have likely applauded her for it. Snow had been horrified when she'd discovered the burns, tried to get her to actually SEE Doc or at the very least go to Regina and see if there was a way to heal the burns.

She hadn't wanted that, as much as she loved her cousin, she just…she didn't want her concern or her help!

She had been basically wasting away the entire time, growing more miserable as they days went by, was growing more distant and Snow had barely noticed, and she knew, she KNEW that it was hard and difficult for her cousin too to be a ruler again and have a baby on the way but she had expected Snow to notice something, just…something was wrong with her and nothing had happened till the skin on her arm had been literally falling off at her touch. That was how bad it had had to get for her dear cousin to actually notice something was amiss.

But, then again, it was partially her own fault. She hadn't exactly told Snow anything was wrong and she'd gotten very good at perfecting her indifferent mask when she didn't want others to see her weak. And Snow was always around others people, she could hardly get the woman alone enough to drop her mask so it stayed on. She hadn't spoken to Snow of how she was suffering, of how badly she hated not being able to play her pipe when she wanted, or be trusted just to sit nearby the children (and really, she always gave the children back anyway and it wasn't like she could actually spirit them away anywhere with the Witch out there and no one allowed to leave the grounds). She just...she hadn't told Snow about the whispers either, the ones she had heard of other mothers and random villagers and other castle-goers. She hadn't breathed a word of the vile things they said about her. Because if she told Snow, her cousin would DO something...and that something would be rash and defensive for her cousin and make her appear vulnerable to the people as a ruler. She couldn't let Snow take her side and have people claim that SHE had influenced or swayed or used her magic on Snow, she couldn't let Snow say a word or she'd be dealt the brunt of her people's anger over it. And the only way to keep Snow White from speaking of something, was to not let her know about it. Snow could hardly hold her tongue and she would tell the people to back off and all it would serve to do was alienate her from her kingdom, strain the loyalty of her men, garner her the distrust of the mothers. And Snow needed other mothers around her right now, more than ever.

So she would just hold her peace about it.

Speaking of holding peace though, she may have snapped at Snow and stormed off…she would have to apologize later, would gladly apologize later…but for now she just needed quiet, she just need…time to collect her thoughts and suck it all up and just…push through it, for however long they were in the Forest, for however long she was without her true love, she needed to be BETTER than this. She was of no use to her cousin or her family if she was falling apart at the seams. She just…needed to get better.

But this?

These whispers.

They never helped.

"No!" another voice gasped.

"Oh yes, he turned to wood! Do you believe it? Wood!" and a third voice just had to add that as well, her voice more nasally than the first which had been gravelly.

She recognized the voices before she identified the songs attached to them.

Anastasia and Drizella Tremaine, Cinderella's stepsisters, the first and third voices respectively. The second voice though surprised her, it was Nova the fairy. Well, it didn't really surprise her, Nova had always been a bit different than the other fairies, spending less time around them and more time with Grumpy. She doubted Blue had actually told the fairies exactly what happened and, by the time that word had spread through town there were already so many different versions that no one knew which to believe. She actually doubted that Nova even knew the story at all if she sounded that surprised about it.

"I heard that she was such a terrible mother that poor Pinocchio ran away from her," Anastasia continued haughtily, "He came to Storybrooke first, without her after all."

"Ooh, yes," Drizella agreed, "I remember him! You know, it doesn't surprise me he turned back into wood. Wasn't Pinocchio supposed to be honest, brave, and selfless?"

"Yes…" Nova answered slowly, "I…I think that's what Blue warned…"

"Well then, that answers that question," Drizella scoffed, "He turned to wood because he was a selfish, lying coward. And we ALL know Gepetto didn't raise him to be like that, don't we?"

"I'm sure she tried her best," Nova attempted to defend.

"Please," Anastasia argued, "Have you SEEN the Piper? She's so…cold and serious. And the way she watches the children? It's a good thing the Prince and Princess decreed she couldn't be left with the children alone."

"That's not _quite_ what they said…"

"She'd probably spirit them away like all the other mothers think," Drizella agreed with her sister, "I wouldn't put it past her. That's why the mothers don't let the kids leave their sight unless one of the heroes are around to keep them safe from the Piper."

"I'm actually surprised the Princess even trusts the Piper to be in the same castle as them," Anastasia muttered, "I mean, didn't they say she KNEW about the Dark Curse coming, and she let it take the Princess's child anyway? Who knows what she'll do to the future prince or princess, I bet she'd try to take them and raise them as her own."

"I heard she was going to do that to Princess Emma! Thank the fates that she didn't get her hands on the princess! Could you imagine the Savior being raised by the Piper?"

"She'd be the Anti-Savior, no doubt. Now imagine what she'd do if she _did_ manage to spirit the children of the castle off."

"I always wondered what she did with the children she took? Do you think she eats them?"

"Erg, Drizella be realistic," Anastasia huffed, "She kills them and uses their skin as leather for her clothing. Have you SEEN the way she dresses? Pfft."

"I'd heard she gives the children back in the end," Nova's words were growing quieter, as though she didn't want to really say anything against the women.

"She's a liar," Drizella reminded, "She'd have to be to be the Dark One's true love. I can only imagine what sort of monsters they'd have if they ever had children."

The disgusted shiver that sounded had Piper curling her hands into fists.

"As though they'd _ever_ have children," Anastasia laughed, "If that…fish ever became with child, she'd probably be stoned to death. For the safety of the kingdom of course."

Piper's lips pursed so thin at that remark they nearly disappeared.

"That's horrible!" Nova cried.

"Think about it though," Drizella remarked, "A child that's half Dark One? Half…Pied Piper? What's that, a quarter siren?"

"Oh she has to be more than half," Anastasia disagreed, "There's no way a girl as cruel and terrible as the Piper is just half. I bet her mother tricked her father into thinking he was the real father. I bet it was just another fish!"

"She doesn't look much like Princess Snow," Drizella agreed.

"I think they have the same eyes…" Nova offered.

"That's easily fixed, who knows what male Siren eyes look like, they could be green!" Anastasia tutted.

"Urg, imagine what her child with the Dark One would look like!?" Drizella gasped, "It would be a monstrosity! That…that scaley skin…"

"And those freakish eyes that the Dark One has…"

"You shouldn't say such things," Nova tried to scold them, "A child is innocent and…"

"And it would be a danger to us all," Anastasia continued, "It would grow up to be one of the darkest creatures ever!"

"The Dark One's son wasn't like that though, he was very kind…"

"Because the Dark One wasn't the Dark One when he was born," Drizella sounded exactly like what a roll of the eyes would.

"But speaking of Baelfire," Anastasia latched onto that, "I can't imagine the Dark One would ever want to look at the Piper again after what she did."

"Yes, it's no secret that she got the poor boy killed. Belle told us all what happened."

"I would be surprised if he didn't try to kill her when next they meet."

"I heard she planned it, planned right from the start to use the Dark One's son to free the Dark One."

"I wouldn't put it past her."

"That isn't what Belle said at all!" Nova cried, "And we only have Belle's tale to take, no one has bothered to ask the Piper what happened from her point of view and…"

"And what?" Drizella scoffed, "I would trust Belle's words over the Piper's any day."

"She's a liar and a murderer," and that…Anastasia's words, much like her sister's, sounded the epitome of someone sticking their nose in the air, "She should never be allowed around the children let alone allowed to have her own."

"The little demon spawn…"

Drizella's words trailed off into utter silence as the three women reached the corner of the hall and turned it…seeing Piper sitting in the window, glaring at them, her hands clenched so tightly at her sides that her knuckles were white, but her face was so red from anger, her eyes so hard and narrowed that they looked like slits, her body rigid with just barely restrained fury.

"Piper…" Nova gasped, her eyes going wide as the women on either side of her faltered, all of them utterly terrified of what would come next.

Piper was panting, deep, heavy breaths, trying to keep her heart from pounding out of her chest, trying to keep herself from lunging across the small space and ripping the hearts out of the bloody sisters and crushing them herself.

"Turn," she demanded, her voice so low and deadly that the trio stumbled back at the sound of it, "And leave."

They just stared, too frightened to move.

"NOW!" she snapped, half-snarling at them.

The three turned tail and ran faster than anyone she had ever seen before.

Piper just closed her eyes, willing herself not to move from that spot until she'd calmed down…

She would not go on a rampage through her cousin's kingdom…

She would not go on a rampage through her cousin's kingdom…

~8~

She would not go on a rampage through her cousin's kingdom…

Clearly this motto was not working if she still felt just as enraged as before even now that the sun had firmly set behind her. Her breathing had eased up and she had been able to open her eyes, yet her gaze was locked on the matching window on the other side of the hall, staring at it, staring through it, not trusting herself just yet to leave that spot and not want to seek out the Tremaine sisters and murder them wherever they may be, in front of whomever they might be around.

So lost was she in her murderous thoughts that she jumped when she felt a small hand on her own where it was still curled and clenched on the edge of the window's ledge. She her gaze snapped down only to see the wide brown eyes of Roland Hood staring back up at her.

"Are you ok?" the boy asked.

She blinked at him, "What are you doing out of bed, child?"

"I wasn't in bed," he shrugged easily, "Are you ok?"

"Why do you ask?"

He shrugged again, kicking his little feet, having pulled himself up onto the ledge with her to sit beside her, "You look sad."

She blinked once more, "Do I?"

He nodded, his brown curls bouncing, "And papa says when someone's sad you should always ask why and if you can help," he tilted his head, "So can I help?"

She felt the smallest of smiles coming onto her face at the innocence in his gaze, the truth in his words, the genuine nature of the question, "I fear you cannot."

"Why?"

"I do not believe your father will be agreeable to you being here with me, you had best return to your bed before he catches sight of you in my company. He may become quite cross."

Roland frowned at her, "You talk funny."

She gave a small chuckle at that, "I have been told that a time or two."

Roland wrinkled his nose at her 'talking funny' still, "Why would papa be mad?" he asked.

She sighed, "Not many a parent are particularly fond of me, even less so when I am around their children."

"Papa's not like that," Roland told her.

"I do believe all parents are."

"Not papa!" Roland insisted.

"And what makes you say that?" she indulged him.

"People don't like Regina," Roland said simply, though he beamed at saying the Queen's name, a privilege the boy had been given that not even his father had, "People say she was a bad lady but she's really nice. She saved me and gave me Monkey!" he held up his other hand that was firmly gripping the stuffed monkey that Regina had rescued him from, "People call her evil but papa says she's bold and…and…acious."

"Acious?"

"Ad…adacious!"

"Audacious?" Piper had to smile at that, amused.

"Yes, yes!" Roland nodded again, beaming, "Papa says that people change and we should get to know someone before we judge them. So see!" he insisted again, as though he was right, "Papa will get to know you and see that you're nice too!"

The comment she'd been about to make, that his father had already met her and formed as sour an opinion of her as the other parents, died in her throat at his last words.

"You…think me…nice?"

Roland shrugged, "You're not mean."

She almost scoffed at that, if the boy only knew.

"And you talk to me," Roland added, starting to count it off on his fingers, "Most grownups don't talk to kids, they tell us to just go play but YOU'RE talking to me. And…and you're pretty. And you play nice music…"

"When did you hear me playing my pipe?" she stared at him, not recalling him ever being around when she would play her pipe, the rare times she managed to find some secluded part of the castle to get a melody or two out.

"I'm a Merry Man!" Roland decreed proudly, "We need to be sneaky!"

"You…snuck up on _me_?"

She must have been more distracted and tired than she thought if she'd missed Roland's song sneaking up on her and getting close enough to hear her playing.

"Uh huh," he seemed inordinately pleased by that, "Papa says it's hard to sneak up on you. But _I_ did it!"

She let out a light breath at that, a soft smile on her face, "It appears you did. And you…enjoyed my music?"

"Uh huh," he repeated, bobbing his head again, "I liked it a lot!" before tilting his head to frown at her, "Why don't you play more? And why do you look so sad when you play?"

She sighed, "Many others have…requested me not to play as often as I should like. I am sad because…I like to play and yet I cannot play when I wish."

It was…a partial truth, but there was no need to burden the boy.

"Well that's mean," Roland pouted at that, seeming to be quite irate for her sake, "If you like something you should do it as much as you can."

"Others do not see it like that."

"Then they're the meanies," Roland declared, "And you shouldn't listen to them, cos they're mean."

"If only it were that simple," Piper murmured.

Roland fell silent, kicking his little feet a moment more before he looked at her, "Will you play for me?"

"What?" Piper blinked at him, not having expected that.

"I like your music, so will you play for me?"

"I…am afraid not."

"Why?"

"Because the…meanies," she supplied, feeling utterly foolish to be using such a word, "There are quite a few, Roland, and…if I upset enough of them, they will go to the prince and princess to request help in…dealing with me," it had happened a few times already, she didn't doubt that it wouldn't stop until she'd been run out of the castle, but she knew Snow would NEVER let it go that far, "It may reach a point where I am forbidden to play at all."

"That's sad."

"Yes, it is," she agreed solemnly.

The worst part was…it had a real possibility of happening. Everything was so fragile at the moment, the safety that surrounded them so tentative that it could be shattered so easily. If enough people gathered together to confront Snow with their complaints about HER…there was only so much her cousin could do to calm and pacify them. Everyone from Storybrooke still had their memories of a democracy and a mayor and…quite a few would not be shy about discussing the possibility of creating one there in the Forest instead of a monarchy. Snow's control over the people was very weak at the moment, only the threat of the Witch keeping the people from openly revolting and launching a coup.

And while she knew she wasn't nearly so important that her mere presence could lead to an uprising against Snow…her presences DID upset a number of people, her music even more, her reputation with the children the most.

The last thing she wanted to do was make life more difficult for her pregnant, stressed cousin.

And the people could do just that, if they got enough together and complained about the same issue. They could sway the minds of their rulers just as well as her music could sway the minds of others. The power really did lay in the hands of the people and they knew that now better than ever due to Storybrooke. The people had already gotten Snow to 'request' (though they would have liked if she'd demanded) that she not approach any of the children while they were alone or attempt to be around them without another adult present. Snow had spun it that the other adult would only serve as proof that she wasn't plotting anything underhanded with the children, though she knew it was really that the other person was just going to watch her like a hawk. They'd already gotten Snow to 'request' that she stop playing her music where others could hear, where others could be curious and lured to it. They didn't trust that sometimes her music was just regular music.

If they could take away her freedom to be around in passing without someone to watch her, if they could take away her freedom to play her songs even in privacy…she didn't doubt they could get Snow to 'request' that she not play at all, that they snap her pipe or lock it up or something else, burn all the musical instruments like they'd done to the spinning wheels in Aurora's kingdom, and then ban her from so much as humming and using her voice either.

She already lost her son, her true love, her cousin was slipping away from her, and her music was limited…if she lost it entirely…she didn't know how long she'd last in that case.

"I'm sorry," Roland's voice broke through her thoughts, "You should be allowed to play when you want. Cos you're really good at it."

"Thank you, Roland," she remarked, glancing at the window, at the stars starting to appear in the sky, "But I do think it is time you return to your quarters lest you worry your father."

Roland sighed but nodded, hopping off the window and heading for the corner of the hall.

"Roland," she called after a moment. He paused and looked back at her, "You…truly believe I am…nice?"

Roland smiled, "Yup," he told her, before turning to hurry away, back to his father.

Piper looked down at that, she wasn't nice, she knew that. But there was just something about a child looking at you as though you were, as though you had the potential to be, as though…as though you weren't the monster their parents thought you were.

Normally it didn't bother her, when others called her a monster. She knew she was one, she's called herself a monster more than once. But…Snow was pregnant. Snow was going to have another child. Snow was going to become a parent…

What if…what if she became like the other parents? What if she started to see her as monster as well? What if she didn't want her around the baby just like the others?

She let out a long breath and shook her head, she was being ridiculous, this was Snow White, her cousin…her sister. And to Snow, she was her family, her cousin, her sister, not a monster, not someone to be feared, not…not someone she couldn't trust with her child. She was being utterly ridiculous, she was, to even consider that Snow could become as hesitant and fearful around her as the other mothers.

Snow would never think that of her, not ever.

A/N: Poor Piper :( Something she actually did worry about for the briefest second and brushed off so quickly as an impossibility might just be occurring for her :( I mentioned in Phantom Melodies that Piper had a very difficult time being in the castle, with children around and their parents not wanting her near them, that she dealt with whispers about her 'failings' with Emma, Neal, and August, and it was just a very trying time. I wanted to look into that and also give a sort of look at what a child sees when they look at Piper through Roland. It's the adults that fear her, not the children, and the fact that even then she was on the edge of falling apart but held it together and kept quiet about it for her cousin's sake sort of also makes the hurt from the last chapter much more :( She's always trying to do right by Snow in the long run, even if Snow isn't aware of just how much Piper's done for her :(

Some notes on reviews...

I can say the angst may just kill Snow in the end ;) (not literally, but more guilt for some things she says and how her mentality on things affects Piper ;))

I was very curious what happened to Ana too, _so much_ is lost in the cramming like how Will even got introduced to Belle or got her to give him a chance given how their last relationships went, what made him interested in her in the first place, and things. I feel like if we saw a little more of how it happened it would be a little more understandable, same with quite a few other events, if we SAW the background moments instead of hearing about them in passing it would make more sense in terms of story telling :) I'm very cautious and hesitant about Season 5, especially the whole plot with Zelena-Robin. That direction of the storyline actually made me really not want to watch anything else of OUAT it was really just SO far out of my comfort zone what happened with them :( But I'm trying to keep the faith and do as I sometimes ask readers to do with my story, trust the writers and hope that they have something epic planned for later. Depending how they spin that storyline and what they do with it might mean the difference between if I watch for enjoyment or solely to keep the stories going though :(

I don't think it's so much a delusion with Piper as opposed to a fact of biology for her in terms of coexistence through family ties. SHE knows that, as a half-siren, she is loyal to her family first and foremost so it makes perfect sense to her that her actions, while appearing one way to others, are never ever done with the intention to harm her family, that there's always something else going on that would benefit her family in the long run. It's almost an impossibility for her to betray them or turn on them or do anything that would truly harm them in the deepest most unhealable ways so she never understands why others think she will, or why others don't trust her when it comes to her family's safety. To her, it's a fact that Gold has proven his love and care for her and his desire to see her happy repeatedly...and her being happy means, in a very large way, that her family is safe. Therefore, for Gold to have her happy, he cannot harm her family. She really would KILL _anyone_ that means her family harm, and that includes Gold at the moment. The sheer fact that he's still alive, that she holds his dagger and CAN kill him with it but doesn't, should be a clear sign to Snow that she trusts Gold _with her family's lives_ , which a monumental thing for a Siren given how protective they are. Snow, out of every single person in the town, is the only one that knows _exactly_ what being half-siren means for Piper, what a siren would do for family, and where her loyalties and intentions lie...so Snow not trusting Gold means she doesn't trust Piper's judgement and doesn't trust Piper's care for the family, which is a deep and serious hurt to Piper :( I agree, it doesn't always work outside her mind, she can't control other people's doubts and she can't understand why they would distrust her or think she could harm her family when being half-siren means she fights to keep them as safe as she can :( She sort of follows the belief of being what she is, whether good or bad, and not caring what others are so long as they don't threaten her family, she could be 90% bad in being the Piper but 10% good in protecting her family, so she doesn't really have to be all good or all bad ;) It's sort of like what Snow says to Regina in the show, she's not all good and Regina isn't all bad, it's always more complicated than that ;) Sometimes heroes do bad, truly evil things while at the same time sometimes villains do good, truly selfless things too. If the roles were reversed, others might see her as more deluded but in the sense that they might assume she's trying to 'save' the villains or reform them or believe they're good deep down, when, really she would just be existing among them without trying to influence them one way or the other, perhaps trying to come up with a way to solve a problem that doesn't involve murder or dark deeds but she wouldn't exactly stop them or try and force them to change their ways or fight them to the death over it, though she might fight others to the death to defend the villains which would be interesting to see ;) I think the adoring look itself is sweet, I just feel like it's really very out there in terms of what we've seen of Emma and how expressive she is, that she'd ever show _that much_ adoration to anyone when, I don't think, she's ever even looked at her own child that way (in a platonic mother-son adoration way) so it actually made me wonder, when I first saw the episode, if she was sleep deprived or high when Hook helped rescue her because it was just such a loopy expression relatively speaking from how Emma expresses herself normally...though it might have just been the lighting and the camera angles emphasizing the wrong features in my view of it lol :)

I'm so sorry you had to say goodbye, -virtual hug!- :'( And thank you, your words and well wishes and prayers mean so much to me too :')

I feel like that's sort of an ongoing theme in the show with the heroes and the villains in terms of remembering the good deeds and life saving so I'm glad that it came across like the heroes sort of overlook when Piper helps or saves them :) In the show it bothered me so much that some villains would constantly be ready to die or get hurt or lose everything to try and do good...and all certain heroes did was throw their past back into their faces :( It's sort of like the idea of 'one good deed doesn't erase a lifetime of bad' but on a scale where they don't even acknowledge the good done after it's said and done, but the bad is never forgotten :( And vice versa with the heroes, if they do evil it's never mentioned again because it was for 'the greater good' :( I can say we'll see a Henry, Gold, and Piper bonding moment to come yup ;)

That's definitely going to be a big thing for Snow to realize later, just how much Gold and Piper were doing their own investigation to try and keep the family safe. It's like they really don't feel they can TELL Snow what they're doing given her really bad history with keeping any kind of secret. They can't risk her telling Emma or David or it getting back to the Snow Queen. They also know that, when it comes to other villains, there are likely to be things that will need to be done that the heroes won't feel comfortable doing or won't think to do or want/agree to do that a villain WOULD do. So they need to keep it underwraps so that the heroes won't try to stop them if it comes down to needing to get 'down and dirty' to deal with the threat :( She'll also realize her internal thoughts about the child not being near him in terms of her cousin having a child definitely ;) I feel like if they'd spaced Frozen out more and didn't make it this entire big production and so focal to the first half of the season I'd have enjoyed it more, it was just so 'in your face' that it got really old really fast :/ Lol, I think Piper would love a daughter after 'two' sons ;) I actually really LOVE the August/Lily pairing :) The moment we saw Lily in her episode I was like, I could see her with August, they both have that sort of bad decision streak and the bit of 'badboy' attitude, and it would be a little funny to see the jokes about Lily being a dragon and breathing fire and August being the flammable wooden boy lol :) I really was hoping we'd see them at least meet in the show or be introduced, but I've got my fingers crossed for Season 5 ;) I think I got the photo, I think I remember getting an email alert about it ;) I've been trying to get on my tumblr the last few days but things keep coming up that cut into my time and I'm really trying to keep the stories updated normally. But I hope to be able to get on my tumblr the next day or two to answer any asks and post any submissions ;)


	11. Family Business

Family Business

Piper stood in the back of the Sheriff's station, Gold beside her, his hand resting on the small of her back as they watched Emma play the recording she'd found just last night for those gathered among them. Elsa was there, with Hook, Mary Margaret, David, Henry, and Regina, everyone watching as the boy stole Emma's video camera in the footage.

"Give it back, Kevin," and, just as the night before, the Snow Queen appeared beside a young Emma, "The camera is Emma's, not yours."

Emma sighed and paused the footage as the Snow Queen turned to the camera giving them all a good look at the woman.

"Emma," Mary Margaret breathed, staring at the footage with wide eyes, "That's you. You must be…"

"13," Emma nodded, "Maybe 14."

Regina leaned in as Emma and Mary Margaret's faces were so close to the screen they might have been pushed against them, "Are you missing the part where she's with the Snow Queen?" that got them to pull back as Regina turned more to Emma, "Emma, you knew her before you came to Storybrooke?"

"Apparently my run-in with her in town wasn't the only memory she erased," Emma shrugged, "All this time in this foster home, or whatever that place was, it's gone…"

"What I don't get," Henry spoke up, "Is how she even got to this realm when she had to be from yours," he looked around at the others.

"We were hoping Gold could tell us that," Emma glanced at the man as he stood close to Piper, silent and tall. If she had to describe it, she would have almost thought that the man was taking a protective stance, something she was almost sure he was doing given that his gaze had hardly been on the TV but on Mary Margaret, "You spent more time trying to get here than anyone," she managed to pull his attention to her for a moment, "How the hell did _she_ do it?"

"Considering the time I spent on the same task, I'd love to know," was all Gold remarked, though his tone was deep and dry and held a hint of a hard edge to it.

She didn't doubt that the man would have rather the two of them be anywhere else but in the station with Mary Margaret there given his reactions to the woman. It was…weird. To her. She'd seen SO much of Piper's protective side rearing into life that it was almost disconcerting to see Gold, of all people, be protective over someone, to see him want to defend Piper against her cousin. But she could see it just in the way he stood, supporting Piper's silence, not drawing her into it, not trying to encourage her to speak when she didn't. He wasn't being openly affectionate and coddling of her, but he hadn't broken the physical connection he had with her since they arrived, had acted as a buffer, requesting they get on with it before Mary Margaret, who HAD been heading for the woman beside him, could do anything.

"Does it really matter how she got to Emma?" David glanced around, "I mean, shouldn't we be more concerned about why?"

"Obviously, she needed her for something," Regina remarked, "But what?" she scoffed, thinking about how that added to the ever-growing list of issues they had, "Well, that's our next problem."

"Well, we know she's hiding somewhere in the north woods," David thought out loud, "We combed every inch of her shop. We tore apart her house. She must have cleared everything out days before."

"Which means she must be hiding something," Hook agreed.

"But where?" Emma shook her head.

"What about her ice cream truck?" Henry shrugged, drawing everyone's gaze over to him.

"Whoa, Snow Queen has an ice cream truck?" Emma blinked at that.

"I'm a kid," he laughed, "I notice these kinds of things."

"Well done," Piper offered, making him beam to be the one that had gotten her to speak for the first time since they arrived.

He didn't know what had happened, but from the tension and how she was acting, where she was standing, he could guess that something had gone down between her and Mary Margaret. Normally Piper would greet Mary Margaret first, speak to her and see how she was, how Neal was, stand beside her, as a buffer between the 'heroes and villains' in that she would be between Mary Margaret and Gold more often than not. But this time she'd hardly spoken to her cousin and was standing right beside Gold instead, not even looking at Mary Margaret. Whatever it was…he hoped that it wasn't too bad, or that they were able to make up from it soon. It was really…weird, to see Piper react like that to Mary Margaret.

That alone told him that whatever it was…it had been bad, really bad, because Piper wouldn't just ignore her cousin for no reason.

"Then we split up into groups," David declared, "We search the town, the woods. Hook, Regina, Emma, you take the west. Gold, you're with me for the east, Piper you and Mary…"

"I think we all know Pip and I work best together," Gold gave David a cold, warning look.

He could tell _exactly_ what the man was trying to do, split them up while also forcing Piper and her cousin to be in the same place, alone, to 'talk' or 'work out' their argument. But David didn't know Piper like he did, the man had a hard enough time accepting the villain as his wife's cousin, as his son's aunt, he had barely gotten a chance or had a drive to learn even a modicum of siren lore. He had no idea how they operated or what was needed to resolve issues for them. No good at all would come from forcing Piper to confront her cousin before she could work through the sting of Mary Margaret's words.

If anything, it might make it even worse, and he doubted, in the long run, that David would want his wife upset. And that was all that would happen from his efforts to 'help,' he would drive Piper and Mary Margaret further apart and…for once…HE was actually of agreement with the man. He did not want to see Piper lose her cousin or fight with her anymore than David did his wife. Family was…essential to Sirens, important to them, Piper was reeling from a blow dealt to her by her own cousin, her family, and it would take time to heal from it.

He could see the struggle in her expression, in her body language, in her eyes. It was painful, for Piper, deep down to be what she was, both siren and human. Both sides fought against each other in various ways and while she was coping and had been able to cope through most of her life…when events like this, that put a strain on family reared up, it was harder for her to deal with it all. The human part of her wanted to talk to her cousin and resolve it, the siren part was spitting and hissing at the wounds dealt in Mary Margaret's words. She wanted to talk to her cousin, he knew, deep down she did…but…

She had lost so much of herself in becoming the Piper.

She had spoken to him at length of what it was like on her journey, separated from her cousin, what it was like to feel herself change and become more and more siren-like as the days went by. She lost too much of Rose Red to ever feel…human. It had been a hard blow for her, to realize she'd lost that aspect of her past, something she'd been terrified to lose, something she'd worried about what she'd become without. He had done his best to reassure her that it wouldn't change anything between her and her cousin, love transcended things like that.

She wanted to speak to Mary Margaret, the human in her did…but there was so much Siren in her, almost too much, for her to know that doing so would be devastating. She wasn't ready to do it, her wounds were too fresh and stung too badly to even be able to face her cousin without lashing out. And he knew…she was utterly petrified, even if she never let on, that any more confrontations with Mary Margaret would end up hardening her heart to her cousin. That was the very LAST thing she ever wanted to happen, something she was fighting against letting.

There was almost no reason for it NOT to happen, save sheer force of will and a firm clinging to what little 'human' she still had in her.

Her mother, he knew, had completely turned against her Siren family when they betrayed her, when they were planning to do something that would hurt her behind her back. Her family had caused her to lose trust in them, they had lost trust in her…there was no reason to be loyal to the family if the family didn't trust her. So she'd left.

A mere act of lost trust had been enough to sever the ties a Siren had to her clan.

And Piper was feeling it fight her to do the same to Mary Margaret.

If Mary Margaret didn't trust her any longer, then was there any point to return the trust? And once the trust was broken…it could lead to a dark path of heart hardening that Piper desperately wanted to avoid. Because lost trust alone was enough to cause a full-blooded Siren to harden her heart to her family, what did it mean for Piper, who was merely half? She was trying her best to keep it from happening, he knew, she was using everything in her to remind her that Emma still trusted her, Henry did, Neal was innocent and trusted her, even…even David seemed to be trusting her more. There were still people of Mary Margaret's family that trusted her and for that reason alone she could not give up on that bond.

The human in her clung to it, trying to help her keep faith that Mary Margaret's trust hadn't been entirely lost.

The woman had said that she didn't trust Piper 'when it came to Gold.' Perhaps there was still a chance that she trusted her in other areas.

Anything at all that she could do to keep that faith and belief that the trust hadn't been fully torn apart was something she needed. Because while the Siren in her was fuming and hurt and rash, the human in her was hopeful and conscious of the fact that once the trust was lost…it would be enormously difficult to get back. The human in her could recognize that she didn't WANT to lose the trust, to sever the bond between her and her cousin, that Mary Margaret was the last blood-family of the Enchanted Forest she had left, as Emma and Henry and Neal were more children of this world, the last family that knew her as Rose Red.

And that was also a part of it, wasn't it?

Mary Margaret represented Rose Red to Piper. She had cast off being that princess a long time ago, stopped being her entirely, but she HAD been Rose Red at one point, she HAD been more human than siren once, and Mary Margaret was a symbol of that time, a reminder that she wasn't a completely evil creature. She symbolized all that she had been, and something that, despite becoming the Piper, she didn't want to forget she'd been.

To lose Mary Margaret in that way would almost be like cutting that part of her out entirely, to lose that small spark of humanity that she still had.

It was a difficult road, it was painful for her to bear, worse yet that all of it was in her own mind and heart, not something others could truly help with. HE was trying all he could to help her through it, reassure her, even…keep her hope up that the issue with her and Mary Margaret COULD be resolved, that Mary Margaret had only shouted what she had out of shock and the heat of the moment and not a genuine feeling of mistrust. But what David was planning would only make it worse in forcing a person that was more Siren than human at the moment to face the person that had hurt them.

Sirens were not so easily forgiving as humans, and the fight had only happened less than 12 hours ago. It was too soon.

"Fine," David huffed, seeing that his plan had fallen through, especially when Mary Margaret herself looked at him with a pleading gaze and shake of the head that she did not agree with the plan either.

Gold had to eye her with thin relief for that, it seemed the woman was conscious of just how bad that would be to leave them both alone at the moment.

"Gold and Piper on the East, Mary Margaret and I will take the south, Robin and his Men are in the north…"

"We need more eyes," Emma muttered, "No," she shook her head, "We need more angles. We're looking at this like she's my long lost foster mother, and this is Storybrooke, a town filled with fairytale characters. Maybe we need to look at her as the Snow Queen too."

"We can check the library," Henry offered, "There has to be something there about it, other legends of the Snow Queen. I can go, ask Belle for help. She's good at research."

"I'd like to come with you," Elsa looked at Henry, "If that's ok. Maybe something about my sister will be there, too."

"Awesome," Henry nodded.

"Right, then we're set?" Emma looked around, the group nodded, "Then let's go."

~8~

Piper breathed deeply as she walked through the woods with Gold beside her, her arm linked through his, both of them silent as they 'examined' the area. They didn't really have a need to really 'look' for the Snow Queen, she could hear a song that wasn't familiar and Gold could sense the magic, both of which were lacking at the moment.

"You were very brave back there, Pip," Gold remarked after a moment, "To face your cousin after last night."

"Emma requested we attend," Piper muttered, "I would not deny her. Even if it meant Snow would be in attendance as well."

He nodded, moving his arm slightly so that he was holding her hand instead as they went, "Still, you've more control than I. I could not cease glaring at her."

Piper smiled a bit at that, "I…was fearful that if I truly _looked_ at her I would…" she shook her head.

"You can speak to me Pip, always," he opened his other arm, "Of everyone in this town, I am the one that has right to judge you least."

"You have more right than any of the heroes," she muttered, taking a deep breath at the venom that had snuck into her voice, shaking her head firmly as though to brush that off, "I feared that if I looked at her I would not see Snow White but…Mary Margaret."

He nodded at that, understanding, "You feared you would not see her as your cousin any longer."

She swallowed hard at that, sucking a deep breath through her nose once more, "Yes."

He lifted her hand to his lips, "That won't happen Pip. I won't let it."

"You?" the question wasn't asked in a scoffing or disbelieving way, but more heartfelt.

"Me," he agreed, "I love you Piper," he told her, his voice leaving no question of whether he was telling the truth or not, "I want you happy. And I know that your cousin is important to you and makes you happy. You are not happy now in your fight with her, I will not let it reach a point where you lose her or yourself to it."

Piper's expression grew soft at that, "I love you, Rumpelstiltskin."

He was a villain, through and through. One would think that meant he would be selfish, that he would want her all to himself. That he would plot to keep her family from her or turn them against her so that she would turn against them. But here he was, telling her that he knew it would make her unhappy to lose them, that he wanted her happy and happy meant reconciled with them.

A voice in the back of her mind whispered to her with the question of if the heroes would do the same. If she and Gold were in a fight and she was just as torn in not wanting to lose him but not feeling able to speak to or look at him…would Mary Margaret, or any of the other heroes, actually try to help her? Try to help them resolve their issue and reconcile? Or would they (Snow) see it as an opportunity to keep her away from the Dark One's influence?

The same bitter voice whispered that no, they wouldn't. Mary Margaret had proven she wanted her son, and by extension, family, nowhere near Gold.

She shook her head again, trying to force the voice out of her head, trying to tell herself and make herself believe that her cousin would want her happy and returned to her true love, just as Snow White would want to be with her Charming Prince again. That Snow would see it as no different a situation and try to help her cousin reunite with her love…

Snow wouldn't see it any differently…

But would Mary Margaret?

No, she shook her head firmly once more, shoving the voice down, these questions…they would do her no favors save make her wary of her cousin, mistrustful of Mary Margaret just as Mary Margaret had come to mistrust her.

"We will see this resolved," Gold spoke, thankfully pulling her from her darkening thoughts, looking at her with a small smile, "It may…take a moment or two," he gestured around, knowing she understood he meant dealing with the imminent threat of the Snow Queen and Elsa and Anna and his dagger, "But I _will_ see you happy once more Pip."

"YOU make me happy," she murmured.

"And I am honored and glad that I do," he smiled more, "But I know your heart is truly happiest when you have both your family and myself in your life. We will see it resolved."

"I know," she nodded, trying to believe it, trying not to let the voice in her head convince her that she should just cut her ties with Mary Margaret over this. The Siren in her wanted to, wanted to be able to have the freedom to fight back against her cousin. But the Human in her wanted her to be patient, wanted her to realize she didn't really WANT to lose Mary Margaret, and that was the voice she focused on, because he was right, her cousin was more important to her than to lose her over what was said.

Still…it would take more than wanting to not be affected to not actually BE affected by what was said.

To be told that your family did not trust you any longer…it was difficult to bear, especially when all she had ever done was try to protect them. It hurt…and that hurt could be dangerous to a siren.

She inhaled deeply a moment later, looking to the left, "Do you…"

Gold nodded, able to sense what she had heard, "Stay here Pip."

"Rummy…" she shook her head, not wanting him to have to confront the Snow Queen alone.

He smiled gently at her, leaning in to press a kiss to her lips, "An advantage is always best," he murmured against them, leaning back to kiss her forehead as well before he headed ahead of her, stepping past a thick bush in between two large trees.

She sighed but understood, so far the Snow Queen didn't know she was aware of what Gold was doing, and the less the Snow Queen knew of her involvement and knowledge the better. The last thing they needed was for the woman to tell Emma or Mary Margaret that SHE had been speaking to her or confronting her with anything.

In the wrong context, and without her there to defend herself, there was no telling what the Snow Queen would spin it to sound like or what Mary Margaret would believe, how much less she'd trust her after…

"Stop it," she hissed at herself, "She is our cousin," she spoke, sounding more like she was trying to speak to both sides of herself, "In the end, she would NOT betray us. Let her mistrust us in some small way…but we will gain it back, prove our loyalty and she shall trust us once more."

She strode forward, reaching out to place her hands on one of the trees before her, turning to lay against it, her hands behind her, her head resting on the bark as she heard Gold speak out.

"You can show yourself, dearie. I'm not the one you're hiding from."

"No, you're not," the Snow Queen's voice returned, sounding farther away, as though she were on the other side of Gold, "To what do I owe this intrusion?"

"A warning. Emma Swan is onto you. She knows your history began long before you came to Storybrooke…"

The Snow Queen laughed at that, "I'm aware. Do you _really_ think she would have discovered that if I hadn't wanted her to? It's all part of my plan, a plan you thankfully know little about."

"You're being awfully secretive."

"You didn't come to warn me. You came to find out my secrets."

"Or offer up a deal. Whatever suits you best. But if you decline, I'd be careful."

"There it is. There's the warning. You want something out of me? Why don't you just ask for it?"

"If I wanted something out of you, dearie," his voice grew darker, "Believe me, I'd take it."

"But you can't, can you? Otherwise you would."

Piper had to smirk at that, if only the woman knew just how much SHE had been able to get out of people in the past she would not sound so smug. She would love to do it now, sway the woman, torture her if needed, to find out what she planned to do with Emma, but she was still useful to Gold, there was still a deal he wanted to make with her. She could…wait, a little longer, just a little, to see if the deal could be brokered before she forced the Snow Queen's hand.

"You and I both know to get what you want, you need one thing that I have and you're sorely lacking," the Snow Queen continued, "Leverage. And until you get that, _I_ have a warning for _you_. Stay out of my way."

Piper let out a breath as she heard the woman's song fade away, signaling that she'd likely magiced herself away and peered out from behind the tree, "Not go as you hoped?" she smirked a bit at him.

"Not yet," he agreed.

"I could sway her," she offered.

"No," he looked at her, an understanding if sad smile on his face, "You're in no state to be able to use your magic at the moment, you and I both know that."

She nodded slowly at that, knowing he hadn't said that as an insult or to be condescending. It was true. Being so at war with herself over Mary Margaret, constantly fighting the Siren's voice in her head trying to get her to let go of her care for her cousin…if she used her magic now, used her Siren magic in her music…it might weaken her resolve, might bring her closer and closer to that siren half of her.

And she would not risk that.

Despite what Mary Margaret had said and implied, she would fight for her family until she couldn't fight any longer. She would prove to her cousin that she was wrong, and that she WAS trustworthy. She would not let the siren in her win. She would not throw away the years and the bond she had with Snow White over an argument said out of shock and fear and exhaustion and so many other emotions Snow had to have been feeling at the time.

She refused to lose her cousin over words.

In the end, words could be taken back.

~8~

Piper sighed as she stepped into Gold's shop, having parted ways with him at the mansion in the woods, they were going to work on the dagger now that they knew that Emma was safe at the moment. She'd told David to call off the search, the Merry Men had found the ice cream truck in the woods and Emma was surrounded by Robin, the Men, Regina…and unfortunately Hook, but she had quite a few people around. She'd also confirmed that the Snow Queen wasn't anywhere to be seen and that the ice cream truck was free of enchantments or magical traps according to Regina, they were going to search it and would report back later if they found anything.

So she and Gold had decided to try the mansion and continue their research. She was just stopping back to the shop to pick up a book that Gold had requested. He'd put a charm on the shop recently that kept him or anyone with magic, from using it to poof objects out of the shop. She was going to stop into Granny's as well on the way back and pick up food for them as well. She was getting a headache from the constant pressure in her head over all of this and just wanted some hot chocolate and cinnamon to sip on and relax while they researched.

She grabbed the book and was heading for the door when she stopped…spotting a rather odd sight across the street. Belle was leaving the library, a…letter opener in hand…and hurrying for the woods.

"Now that IS odd, is it not?" she murmured to herself, curious. She glanced at the book in her hand, before looking at Belle's disappearing figure once more, the girl had seemed frantic and upset and she HAD to know the woods were off limits now that the Snow Queen had seemed to take up residence in them. Which left only one thing to be deduced…Belle was heading for the Snow Queen.

But for what reason?

Well…she wouldn't find out by standing there, so she pushed the door open and made her way after Belle. She wouldn't put it past the woman to try and strike some sort of bargain with the Snow Queen, whether about Gold or taking HER out, she wasn't sure…but she didn't trust Belle at all. She really had no reason she could think of to be seeking the woman out and it was better to be safe than sorry later.

~8~

"And what reason have you to be here?" Piper called out as she stepped out behind a tree, causing Belle, who had come to stop before a large cave entrance in the side of an ice wall, to gasp and spin around, nearly dropping her letter opener.

"Piper!" Belle swallowed hard, "I…I…"

"What business have you with the Snow Queen?" Piper repeated, taking a dangerous step closer. She doubted that Belle had known the Snow Queen was there, but the girl was…smart. She'd gone far enough into the woods to reach the icewall and followed it along, keeping in the northern part of the woods, till she'd found the cave. It was all too clear that that had to be the entrance to the Snow Queen's lair.

Belle, to her credit, didn't raise the letter opener like a weapon to her, likely recalling what a simple slap had landed her with when first they met, "I have to fix a mistake that I made a long time ago," she hesitated a moment, "Is…is she in there? Can you…can you hear her?"

"Why should I answer?" Piper tilted her head, eyeing her, "You have yet to answer me with a clear response."

Belle looked away, "I need to find something, something that the Snow Queen has."

"And what would that be?"

"A hat," Belle looked back at her, "One that can strip a magical being of their powers."

Piper's face remained expressionless of her slight shock that Belle seemed to know that the hat Gold had found existed, "A hat? You would risk life and limb...for a hat? You are more mentally deficient than I originally thought."

Belle glared at her, "I know she has it! And I need to get it from her. It's the only way to force her to tell us where Anna is."

"Anna?" Piper repeated, "Elsa's sister? I was unaware you knew her."

"I don't," Belle said quickly, "I'm just…I want to help, because a hero always helps strangers. I know that may be a strange concept to someone like you, but I want to help. And this is how I can do it. Now tell me, is she in there?"

Piper glanced at the cave and back, "You truly wish an answer from ME? If I say yes, you will not believe me and go in anyway. If I say no, you will still enter, whether she is or is not there, my answer would not change your decision."

"Fine then," Belle huffed, "Thank you for nothing," and turned to head into the cave.

Piper smirked, "Oh, not nothing," she murmured, moving to follow Belle at a more sedate pace.

It would have been a truth to say that the Snow Queen was not in there, for she heard not the woman's song, which meant that there was time to look around at the woman's lair, perhaps try and discover what the woman was planning that she was keeping from Gold. She had been very withholding of information when Gold approached her, she WAS planning something, but it seemed not even Gold knew what it was and it set them both on edge. The more she knew, the better for them and her family.

She slowed though when she heard what sounded like Belle speaking just before she entered a large room that appeared to be the Snow Queen's main chambers, it…sounded like Belle, but there were other voices that were almost echoing with hers.

"…remember what happened to your mother, no matter what the cost," the voice was saying.

Piper stepped in fully, frowning when she saw Belle standing before a large, round mirror with an ornate white frame that appeared almost made of snow around it. She inched closer, noting that Belle didn't appear aware that she was even there.

"I made a mistake!" Belle was shouting at the mirror, "I didn't mean to…"

"Ruin someone's life?" Piper's eyes narrowed at that, hearing the voice was coming FROM the mirror, "It certainly wasn't your most heroic moment. Not that you've ever really been hero material."

"No," Belle gasped, trying to step away from it, "Please, please stop!"

Piper moved further to the back of the room, stepping behind Belle and watching, curious, as the mirror, the image of Belle, actually spoke back to her despite Belle not moving, "Everyone sees you for what you really are, Belle a pathetic coward! I mean, why do you think anyone even puts up with you? You're the eager little bookwork that does all the research so the heroes don't have to. You're so weak the only thing useful about you is that you know how to turn a page. And your feeble little crush on the Dark One?" the mirror laughed, fixated on Belle as Piper drew closer, "As though he could ever love you. You've SEEN him with her, haven't you? The Pied Piper? His TRUE Love? You never had a chance with him and why would you? You could never be what he needs. You're. Too. Weak!"

"Stop it!" Belle shouted.

Piper reached out and grabbed Belle's arm to turn her, "Belle, look away from the mirror," even she could sense something off about it, "Belle!" she snapped as the girl struggled.

Belle spun around, glaring at her with such a darkness in her eyes that she might have been impressed…had Belle not lashed out with the letter opener and managed to slice her cheek with it.

Piper reacted instantly, swinging her own arm out and backhanding Belle across the face, knocking her to the floor, unconscious, proving, perhaps, just how weak she really was, as she dropped the letter opener as well. Piper panted, wincing as she reached up to touch her cheek, pulling her hand away to see a small trace of blood on her fingers.

"Red as a rose, is it not?" a voice spoke.

HER voice.

She looked up…and there she was, standing where Belle had been, her own image, smirking at her from inside the mirror.

"It would be nice to spill more of it."

Piper frowned at that, her eyes narrowing slightly as she stepped closer to the mirror, tilting her head as she observed herself, her voice echoing with others.

"It would be delightful to lead the idiots of the town to the piers and have them drown themselves," the image continued, "To take all those that ever whispered about you, looked upon you with suspicion, treated you like you were a monster…take them all and massacre the lot of them."

"There would be no one left in this town," she remarked, looking up at the edges of the mirror and back to her reflection.

"And would that not be better?" it asked, "The silence, the quiet…only you, your love, your family left? That is all you need. They would be safe…the rest mere…collateral. Paying for their crimes, their prejudice, their mistrust. They deserve to die."

She hummed, considering that, "I agree…" she murmured, locking eyes with her relfection, "But not today."

Before she stepped back and over to Belle's side, grabbing the girl's arm and yanking her necklace charm off its chain, smashing it on the ground, creating a swirl of purple smoke that rose up and surrounded her and Belle…dying down only to show they had appeared in the mansion, right in front of Gold as he was holding his hand over the hat, sensing the power in it.

"Piper?" Gold blinked, before his gaze hardened, striding over to her and reaching down to help her up, his hands coming up to her face, his thumb lightly stroking her cheek, healing the cut on it instantly, "Who did this to you?"

Piper just flicked her gaze to Belle, still prone on the floor. She reached out to grab his wrist gently when he lifted his hand to incinerate her, "She was being controlled," she explained quickly, "She meant to confront the Snow Queen, or steal the hat," she nodded at it sitting on the table, "From her, believing the woman to have it still. And found a rather remarkable mirror instead. I came upon Belle speaking to it, staring at it as though in a trance as it described quite…well, I relished in the words it spoke so it was likely quite horrible for her to hear," she mused, "I could almost feel the dark magic rolling off it."

The flash of realization in his eyes told her that he understood, that he knew what mirror it was, "I've heard of a mirror like that," he nodded, "It IS imbued with the darkest of magic."

"I moved to pull Belle from it…"

"Why not let it destroy her?" he asked, wondering, also, why she had brought the girl to safety there instead of leaving her for the Snow Queen to deal with later.

"I…" she struggled to express it without letting the Siren's thoughts reach her, "Wonder at how much others would believe me, if I told them of the mirror," for it WAS something she would tell them, the dark magic in it was not something she would be willing to let her family stumble across.

He nodded, understanding both her reason and the implication that this WOULD be something they tell the heroes about, "They would believe Belle more."

Piper's lips pursed at that, hearing the words that that Tremaine sister had said once, that many would believe the story of Belle over her, but knowing Gold hadn't meant it like that.

"What were YOU doing there Pip?"

"I saw Belle moving for the woods and wished to see if she was trying to join with the Snow Queen or if she was truly that feeble minded as to think she could confront her alone," she remarked easily, "I thought, as she was not in her lair, that I could see if I could gleam any information from it about her plans. I dare say that the mirror is it?"

He nodded, "It…can make people into their darkest selves."

"That does explain why Belle lashed out," she murmured, glancing down at the floor only to realize the letter opener was likely still in the cave, which didn't bother her, "And why it affected her and not me."

"I have to disagree with you, dearie…I think it rather DID affect you."

She shook her head, "I stepped back, I was in control of myself and my thoughts, I took Belle from there instead of leaving her to die for the sheer fact that her word would hold against mine otherwise I would have left there. I see not how it has affected me."

Gold gave her a look that was cross between concern and almost…anger, though she knew it wasn't directed at her. He held out his hand, conjuring a mirror and holding it up for her to see.

Her breath left her as her eyes widened, tentatively reaching out to touch the reflection of herself, not entirely sure she believed what she was seeing.

"What..."

Her eyes…her eyes were…different.

They weren't forest green anymore, the shade she shared with her cousin.

No, instead…they were dark, so very dark…almost black.

They weren't her eyes, no, they were the eyes of a full-blooded Siren.

~8~

Gold didn't even bother to sneak into the Snow Queen's lair, did not knock, did not magic himself in, but strode in, his expression hard, his eyes fixed in a glare at the blonde woman in the white dress lounging on a long cushioned chair in the middle of the room, "I'm afraid we have a problem, dearie," he began, not letting her get a word in as he moved past her to gesture at the mirror standing just as Piper had described it, "I was told about your mirror today."

There was no point in lying about it, in trying to say HE had seen the mirror before, he didn't doubt there was some sort of enchantment on it that let the Snow Queen know when it was activated. But that wasn't the point of this visit, it wasn't to lie or spin tales, it wasn't to try and pry her for information, no…he came for a different reason.

Piper had been alarmed at the change in her eyes, at the effect the mirror seemed to have on her, that it had tapped in so deeply into her siren traits that it had brought it to the surface the way it had. It had taken…hours for the darkness in her eyes to fade back to her normal green. She had sat there, staring at the mirror he'd conjured, waiting, nearly holding her breath as she waited for it to go away, to see her own eyes looking back at her.

She hadn't wanted to leave the mansion after that, so he had taken it upon himself to ensure that her desires that the heroes be informed of the mirror were seen to. He magiced himself and Belle back to the shop, waited for the woman to wake and explained to her that he had 'sensed' Piper in danger, if just to remind the woman that he was speaking of his true love and that it wasn't HER, and magiced them out. Had told her that she'd attacked Piper and injured her, which had had the girl tearing up and wanting to apologize. But he'd waved it off, using the excuse that Piper was recovering for why she wasn't there, and explained to her exactly what the mirror was and what the Snow Queen would use it for.

The Spell of Shattered Sight, a deeply dark spell that would cause those affected by it to transform into their worst selves, release their darkest desires and thoughts, and completely strip them of any semblance of humanity. It would be a bloodbath in the streets if that mirror shattered and the spell was enacted.

Belle had been all too quick to offer to tell the others, rushing out of the shop the moment he'd explained just enough for them to know it was serious and what it was, leaving him to return to Piper's side and sit beside her while they waited for her eyes to change, for the effects of the mirror to wear off. She hadn't wanted to face her cousin or her family even after her eyes returned to normal, could only imagine how the trust some still had in her (the little she hoped her cousin still had) would have snapped and vanished if she had appeared with her dark eyes. After everything she had gone through in the last 24 hours he was not going to let this go, he was not going to stand idly by while this affected not just the woman he loved but her family as well.

"It's rather impressive, isn't it?" the Snow Queen smiled, not seeming alarmed at all that he knew of it, "Your true love though…she was quite remarkable as well," she smirked, seeing his gaze darken even more, "The way she succumbed to the mirror was…unexpected," she titled her head to look at him, "I would almost say she wasn't quite human, perhaps not human at all…"

"Watch yourself," Gold glared at her, knowing it was a tense subject for Piper, "Now, I don't know exactly when you intend to use this mirror, but you should know this…I _won't_ allow you to hurt those I care about."

And he wouldn't. Piper was first on his list, then Henry (though Piper would insist the boy should come first, and…he did want him to but Henry, despite claiming to want to work with him to get to know his father's father seemed…distant still), and then Piper's family after that. But they were people important to Piper and, for her sake, they were important to him in this sense. He would protect them, he would not allow them to be harmed because it would just harm Piper in the long run.

"And I won't allow you to derail my plans because you've suddenly gotten sentimental," the woman glared at him, sensing the depth behind his threat.

He stepped closer to her, looking her dead in the eyes, "You only get _one_ warning."

"Which is more than you get," she shot back, "I can't make any promises over who may or who may not survive," she smirked, "For all you know, your precious love might become the target of quite a few people. I'm sure she's harmed plenty of them enough…"

"You know, you were wrong before," he cut in, stepping back, smirking instead, his entire demeanor shifting so suddenly that it threw her.

"That you needed leverage to get what you want?" she tried to regain her footing.

"No, that I didn't have it," he held up his hand, magically conjuring the magic-seizing hat, "I do," he grinned darkly as he saw the true fear in her eyes.

"Where did you get that?" she breathed.

"Oh, that's irrelevant," he waved it off, taking a step towards her, but she stepped back, "But now that I know what you're up to, we can have a real _talk_. You might want to reconsider your position, because I doubt you'd enjoy becoming just another embroidery on this hat," he wiggled it before her before making it disappear in a swirl of smoke, "Looks like you've just lost your leverage, dearie."

And with that he turned and strode out of the cave, disappearing in a swirl of red smoke as he reached the outside, reappearing back in the mansion with Piper, seeing her lying on a small couch, sleeping, likely exhausted from the stress of the day.

He hadn't known that the mirror would be the Snow Queen's plan of attack. Oh he knew she was trying to recreate the Shattered Sight curse, that she'd been collecting mirror fragments for…quite a while. But he hadn't known she'd actually succeeded in finishing it, in rebuilding the mirror. If he had he would have done something about it much sooner. Now though…to destroy the mirror was to release the curse, and if he so much as tried to take it from the Snow Queen she would just attack, set the curse off now and risk her plans not coming through the way she hoped so long as it thwarted him.

He moved over to Piper's side, crouching down and brushing a lock of hair behind her ears, and just watching her breathe a moment. He would not be thwarted though, he refused. He had lost enough of his family and those he loved in the past, he would let Piper experience more than she already had of the same. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead, before pushing himself up to head to a small stack of books he'd collected in the mansion for their research, opening them and sifting through them but this time it wasn't for what might help with the hat but something far more important.

He needed to know what that curse, what that mirror, might do to Piper, what it meant for her and her mixed blood. She had been alarmed before, tense and worried though she said not a word of it. And he wouldn't let her suffer like that, with a fear of what it had done to her. He would not let her suffer when he could help it.

A/N: I was SO tempted to end it on the 'eyes of a full-blooded Siren' part but I really wanted to have Gold and his threatening self make an appearance ;) This was actually one of my favorite chapters to write :) Piper is half human so she has some _small_ level of control and failsafe in fighting the siren half of her. It's ironic that the thing she tried so hard to be as a child, and failed to be fully (allowing herself to become more siren like as years went by) is the only thing really keeping her from fully succumbing to it now.

In a way, it's actually the _human_ half of her that makes her less trustworthy and more dangerous. Like...if she was full Siren, Gold would be dead. The _second_ that he told her about the curse and how it might involve Snow and Emma, Piper would have killed him. Being half human it gives her pause, it gives her _just enough_ pause to consider the future and fight past her basic instincts. Here the human part of her is giving her a breath of air to realize that she doesn't want to lose her cousin just as much as the siren half is ready to just give up on Snow (because why should she give loyalty to someone that has no trust or faith in her?). Back then, the human part gave her enough of a breath of air to realize that the curse would hurt for a little, but that in the end her cousin would have her daughter back, that she would win against the Evil Queen, and that her true love would also have his son back. The Siren in her would kill at the first chance that the slightest harm would befall her family...the human part of her would realize that sometimes small hurts are needed now to keep the bigger ones from happening later.

It's also ironic, in a sad way, that the human part of her, the part the heroes likely wish she had more of...is what would actually make her a threat to them in that the human part of her tones down the siren instinct to 'protect, protect, protect' to a sort of ability to protect in a more subtle and long-played way that _might_ be ok with some sort of hurt happening so long as it was healable, resolvable, and would keep worse ones from happening.

She just can't win, can she? Be more like an uber-protective, family oriented siren...and be seen as a villain and a true dark creature not to be trusted. Be more like a slightly-reasonable, patient human...and become more dangerous and willing to let certain hurts happen 'for the greater good' and _still_ be counted as a villain and not trustworthy :(

We'll see very soon a much needed conversation about labels and sort of self-fulfilling prophecies in terms of what makes a hero or a villain or even a monster before they're even born :(

Also, quick note to anyone reading my DW story at the moment, I'm very sorry that I missed the posting yesterday. My sister's puppy is learning how to go down stairs and got overexcited and jumped off the last half of them :( She started limping and my sister was at work so I had to take her to the vet to make sure she was ok and it took a while :( But the chapter should be up today at the normal time :)

Some notes on reviews...

August will be back more in the second half of the story so we still have quite a ways to go, but he might be in a few flashbacks before then ;) He'll definitely have more of a role in the story yup ;)

I was disappointed by the curse too :( Like they built it up to this deadly, dangerous thing...and all we got was a sword fight and Charming calling someone ice man? :/ They had SO much potential to really go deep and dark (like what would happen if Robin and Regina were confronted with each other under the curse with the Marian situation? for one) and they wasted it, in my opinion :( This story will sort of take a twist on the curse and the lack of bloodshed, but it'll be a very, very frustrating thing for the Snow Queen because of it ;)

I think Snow, at that point, was closer to her end of the pregnancy, very big, very stressed, very much trying to keep everything together that it was easier for her to ask one person to hold off on something than ask every single person that complained to back off :( It's sort of like she was trying to take the easier route and didn't realize it was actually hurting someone :( Thank you for letting me know about Anastasia! I didn't really get into OUATiW so I really only barely know what happened there ;) I'll try and think of another character to take Anastasia's place for that chapter :) Emma will definitely have an 'oh jeez, I screwed up' moment of not defending Piper against Hook about August at a later point though yup ;) Lol, I sort of call August/Lily 'Wooden Dragon' in my head but there's probably a better name out there for them, maybe wooden lily would be better since Maleficent is a dragon too though, not sure :) I think Piper would have handled talking to Lily better too, especially with her own dark streak, she'd be more empathetic and understanding :) Hmm...I sort of see Emma wearing red, like her jacket...though I'm not sure why her Jacket went from red to that weird orange/tan color to back to red for no reason lol :) But I think she tends to favor red :) And just after I wrote that I realized, in this story at least, it would also sort of be like a little nod to her 'aunt' also, how Snow named her Emma because Piper was going to name her daughter Emma, and she's Rose _Red_ and if Emma wore red it would be a little cute lol :)


	12. To Drown or Swim

To Drown or Swim

It was with a shaking hand that a young man with black hair and forest green eyes penned a letter, the last letter he would ever write as he sat in his quarters of the castle of his father. He tried to breathe deeply as he wrote the words he couldn't bring himself to speak to his family.

Oh, his family…what would they say? What would they think when they found this letter? When they realized what he'd done?

He swallowed hard, closing his eyes as his freehand came to rest on top of the small desk beside him so he could lean forward, forcing himself to breathe. He needed to remain focused, he needed to just…get the words out, he had little time if he was going to…

"Ethan!" a voice shouted moments before the door to his chambers were thrown open with such force that it slammed against the wall and bounced off.

"Leopold!" the young man, Ethan, gasped, his hand quickly curling into a fist, crumpling the paper into a tight wad when he spotted the person who had entered.

"Brother," Leopold beamed at him, striding over, his chest slightly puffed as it always seemed to be now that he was a married man, the same forest green eyes that he held sparkling in the light, "What's that?" he eyed the paper that Ethan was attempting to shove behind his back and into a pocket.

"Nothing," Ethan said quickly.

Leopold eyed him a moment before letting out a deep laugh, "Oh I see, trying to write up your coronation speech?"

Ethan nearly let out a breath as his brother's assumption, actually thankful, for the first time since Leopold had married that the man HAD married. All he had heard since the betrothal had been set was how lovely his future wife, Eva, was, how kind and gentle and pure and good. All he'd heard after was how wonderful she was. The only good thing that had come out of his brother's devotion to his wife was that Leopold was less…observant than he used to be. Had this been before the wedding, before he'd agreed to marry his Eva, he had no doubts that his brother would lunge forward and wrestle him for the paper in his hand, do whatever he could to pry it from his fingers and read the contents.

And that was not something he needed his brother to see, it was not something he needed anyone to see until the deeds listed in the letter were done.

Right now he silently thanked Queen Eva for her existence when he'd been cursing it only months earlier.

"Yes," he nodded, going with his brother's assumption, "Yes…it's not quite right yet."

"You'll get it," Leopold waved it off.

"Have you come here for a reason brother?" Ethan eyed him, "Or did you merely wish to scare me to death while also breaking my door?"

Leopold laughed again, "No, no, nothing like that, I merely came to collect you."

"Collect me?" Ethan shook his head, "For what?"

"Your fitting," Leopold smiled, "You're to be fitted one more time for your coronation clothing today!"

Ethan gave him a look, sighing, "Leopold, my last fitting was yesterday."

Leopold blinked, "Was it?"

"Yes," he nodded, "Your wife, unlike her daft husband, had mind to remember and collected me for it at the proper time. Do give her my thanks."

"Oh," Leopold said slowly, before smiling again, "Yes, Eva is a treasure isn't she?" he let out a sigh, "I truly do think I've found my true love, brother."

Ethan gave him a sad smile, "And I am happy for you."

Leopold looked at him, a teasing expression coming to his face, "And when shall we see you find the same?"

"Oh," Ethan shook his head, "I don't believe my true love is out there. I…I don't think I have one. It is said to be rare to find, and we cannot all be so lucky as you."

"I have hope for you yet brother," Leopold countered, "I did not find my true love till after I was crowned, perhaps it shall be the same for you."

"Perhaps," Ethan murmured, "Speaking of loves, should you not be attending to yours?" he glanced out the window, seeing that the sun was starting to set, "Do you not usually walk around the gardens at this time?"

The way Leopold's eyes widened and how quickly the man ran out of the room would have been amusing had he felt that emotion within him any longer.

Ethan waited a moment longer before he stood slowly and made his way to the doorway, staring out the hall in the direction his brother had gone before he shut the door. He turned, leaning against it, then let himself slide down to the floor, his knees curling up to rest his arms on, resting his head back against the wood so he might stare at the ceiling for a time.

He reached behind him and pulled the paper from his pocket, opening the crinkled pages and shaking his head, what had he been thinking writing a note?

His brother had reminded him of exactly what was driving him to this, to the message in the letter. And he couldn't, he couldn't do it, he couldn't leave a message as he'd planned, no…the reaction, the backlash if he were to explain that he was planning these events…it would be terrible for his parents and his brother and he didn't want to cause them any more harm than his actions undoubtedly would. He turned and tossed the ball into the fireplace nearby, a small fire burning within, quickly eating up the paper till there was nothing but ashes left.

He let his head fall forward, resting it in his hands as he groaned.

~8~

Ethan stood on the edge of a shore, a torch in hand, the full moon hanging high in the sky, just…staring out at the waves as they broke against the sand. It…had been surprisingly easy to sneak out of the castle, to make is way to the beach. It had also been surprisingly easy to decide to come there, no, not really, it hadn't been all that surprising.

He'd been planning this for months already, this exact event, at this place, on this night.

It had to be this night, the night before his coronation as king.

He closed his eyes just thinking about that, about the weight of the crown, about what it meant for his father. His mother and father were both the heirs of their kingdoms, two different kingdoms. His brother was the eldest, he was meant to inherit both, he should have inherited both. The kingdoms should have merged and become one larger realm and his brother would have been the king of it, he SHOULD be the king of both…

Not him, he shouldn't have a kingdom or a title of King or a crown…

And yet he was about to receive all of it, in mere hours unless he did this now.

He took a deep breath and walked to the edge of the shore, standing just before the water, the salted liquid barely brushing against the toes of his boots before he frowned. He probably should have thought more about this before he arrived. But it was difficult, more difficult to garner this little knowledge that he did have than it had been to sneak out of a fully alert castle.

This was a lair, a Siren lair, or so the whispers around the kingdom claimed. It was a small alcove, a nook tucked into the side of the sea. This was not where true Sirens of the Sea resided, they favored being out in the depths of the oceans, luring men to their doom. But, sometimes, they would come closer to shore, especially if there were towns and villages nearby that they could see their nature fulfilled with mere fishermen and cargo shippers. They didn't reside here, per say, they did not live in the little cove, but they rested there, at night, when there were few people out or near, they were said to rest until morning or before returning to the sea.

He hoped the whispers were right, NEEDED them to be true really. It had taken quite a few measures to find out where the particular cove that the sirens were said to be near was, but he'd finally worked it out. And now he was there…and he realized that he had no idea how to even summon a siren.

He let out the breath he'd taken, kicking the sand in frustration at his own stupidity. He needed a Siren to rise and greet him and he needed one soon…yet he hadn't stopped to think about what to do to lure one to him. He didn't know what he expected, it wasn't as though he thought they'd all be lounging about the rocks like mermaids were said to do, bathing in the moonlight or singing songs into the darkness. He didn't expect them to be flocked there, filling the cove, yet he had thought there would be something, some sign that there was even one siren about and…

"Oomph," he winced as a pebble struck him in the chest, the shock of it happening making step back more so than the actual force of the hit.

His head snapped up and he looked to the sea, to the reflection of the moon in the water…which was now rippling. He could feel his mouth drop open as he saw something light, nearly white, starting to rise from the deep…and realized it was hair. It was pale hair, the palest he'd seen in his life on anyone that was not an elder. It was so light he would have thought the hair was truly white had it not been for the gentle hue of the moon making him realize it was a light yellow. The hair revealed pale skin of a forehead, dark, dangerous eyes, a sharp nose, light pink lips that were curled into a dark smirk. His eyes trailed down the face of the woman that was rising from the ocean, down her long, exposed neck, down her bosom, though he quickly shook himself out of that and tried to pull his gaze away from that area, noting that she seemed almost dressed in seaweed that was covered in a net that hung off her one shoulder, the seaweed sparkling in the moonlight as though there were small crystals set into it or the net itself.

His gaze snapped back up to the woman's face when it reached her feet, covered by the netted green cloth of her skit and realized she'd finished rising. She was tall, thin, her head held high, chin slightly lifted, back far too rigid to be comfortable. But that wasn't what drew his gaze in more, it was how she was looking at him…with such dark promise in her eyes, as though she could give him everything he desired…

"I have never been attacked by a human with a pebble before," the woman spoke.

He would have been embarrassed by the groan he'd nearly released at the sound of her voice, sultry and deep, echoing out into the darkness and ringing in his ears…had he not been startled at her words, "Pebble?" he murmured, about to ask her what she meant, when he realized that a pebble had been thrown back at him. He must have kicked it out into the water when he'd kicked the sand, "My apologies," he bowed his head to her, "I did not mean to cause insult, merely was looking for some way to request your presence."

The woman tilted her head to the side, eyeing him, curious, "Why would a human, of all creatures, seek out me?"

"I sought a Siren."

"Ahh," she gave a slow nod, "And for what purpose?" she began to move towards him at a sedate pace, walking on top of the water, a sway in her hips that drew his gaze down to them for only a moment before she spoke again, "Do you wish to capture me?" she hummed, "Trap me? Attack me perhaps?"

"No," he shook his head, clearing his throat when his words came out far too breathy.

"No?" she raised a delicate eyebrow at that, reaching him just at the edge of the shore, she reached out and lightly touched the edge of his cloak, tracing her finger just within it, along the exposed skin of his shirt near his neck, "You plan nothing of the sort? Not trickery? No magnificent quest that must see a Siren dead for victory? No…challenges of valor and restraint?" she leaned in, whispering the last words to him.

"N…no," he closed his eyes, almost leaning towards her…

When she lashed out, gripping his neck with her other hand, her entire expression hardening into a snarl, "There is NO other reason to seek a Siren than to attack us!" she hissed at him, her voice taking on something far more dangerous than before, "Your kind," she sneered, tightening her hold on his neck, her strength keeping him from breaking free despite grabbing at her hands, "You land-walkers, you seek out our magic and kill us for bestowing it! You hunt us down for sport and for feats of heroism! We may be dark creatures but it is YOU who are the monsters!"

Ethan gasped as she shoved him backwards onto the sand, panting for breath though he made no move to scramble away from her as she towered over him.

"WHY do you come?" she snarled, "Why do you seek us out? Were you searching for our cove? Were you to discover our location so your other land-walkers could eradicate us? Attack us while we slept?!"

"No," he shook his head, trying to get up, moving to his knees to push himself up…

Before he could even blink the Siren was crouched before him, her hand snapping out to gather the cloth of his cloak and shirt in her hand, yanking him towards her, so close that her face was nearly nose to nose with his own.

"You are a threat to my family," she determined, "And I will end you…"

"Yes," he nodded, "Please."

Whatever the Siren was going to do, whichever method of death she had planned to use to see him vanquished…halted.

Her expression did not harden even a fraction, but her lips pursed, her eyes narrowing as she observed him for a long moment.

Ethan held his breath, not daring to speak, not daring to cause her to take back her promise of death.

But the Siren must have seen something in his eyes, for her lips curled into the darkest version of an amused smile he had ever seen, she looked as though she were entertained by the pathetic nature of something before her, which he could admit he rightly was.

"You wish to die."

It wasn't a question.

So he didn't bother to answer, she already knew the truth, he could hear it in the conviction and certainty with which she'd spoken.

"A land-walker…who wants to drown," she murmured, sounding as though she had made some sort of bizarre discover, "Now that is a novel thing," she tilted her head, studying him, her grip on him not lessening despite her obvious surprise…until, very suddenly, she tossed him back onto the shore once more, "Get yourself gone, land-walker."

"No!" he called as she turned to walk back into the ocean.

No, he couldn't…he couldn't let her leave, not now that he'd finally gotten a siren before him, he just couldn't let her go.

"Would you…would you disappoint your clan?" he asked her as she paused to give him a look over her shoulder.

She glared at him, though she turned to face him, "You know nothing about my clan or our ways."

"I know enough that what you're doing is against your nature," he stood, "Sirens…you drown those that you catch. You caught me, you would not let me go. That is not in the nature of Siren to let her prey escape."

"In what way were you ever prey?" she taunted him, "You came to me willingly, you came here," she gestured around, "Seeking a Siren. You found one, now leave."

"But…"

"You pose me no challenge in your compliance and desire to drown in my waters," she continued, "You are a worthless specimen," she eyed him, noting how he didn't flinch at her words but merely frowned, "For if there is no challenge, there is no worth in the kill, no joy to be had in it. I do not serve you humans, I do not fulfill your desires upon YOUR whim."

"A kill is a kill, isn't it?" he shook his head, "My life is worth as much as any other you would kill upon the open seas."

"A life given so willingly is a life worth nothing to the one who holds it," the Siren countered, "And worth less to me. Find a value in it, and then return, and I shall be all too glad to take it then."

And, with that, the woman stepped further and further into the waters, sinking down into them with each step, till she was gone, leaving him alone on the beach, his life still to live.

~8~

The next time he came to the shore was the very next night, a crown upon his head, a glare upon his face as he grabbed a rock instead of a pebble and purposefully threw it into the waters, disturbing them, "Are you happy!?" he shouted out at the waters as they calmed, "I'm still alive, thank you so VERY much."

It wasn't right, it wasn't what was supposed to happen. The Siren was meant to come to the surface, see him, attack, and drown him, ending his misery not refusing to and leaving him to live in it!

"Hello?!" he called, storming towards the water, causing all manner of noise as he splashed into it, wading to his waist, not caring if his kingly robe or ceremonial sword got soaked or rusted, "Thank you, you bloody cross beast! What would you like me to do? Hmm? What must I do for you to rise?" he asked when there was no sign of the siren. He huffed, recalling a slip she'd said the night before, and pulled his sword out, swinging it around, "Oi! Any Sirens out there? Come fight me! I'll kill the lot of you and be glad to do i…"

His words were cut off as something grabbed his leg and pulled him under the water mid shout, filling his lungs with water as he tried to take an unexpected gasp. He thrashed, naturally, fighting against the water filling him, till he saw it, saw her, pulling his leg, using the momentum of the water to propel him towards her, grabbing his shoulders and shoving him down into the beach just under his feet, holding him there as his body fought against her, despite his mind wanting this to happen. The murderous expression on her face at the threat he had made her family should have frightened him…had it not been what he had been planning for.

Unfortunately, he hadn't quite planned for her to throw him out of the water, literally, causing him to land on the beach, sprawled out on his back, coughing and rolling to his side to expel the water.

"Have you some mental affliction?" the Siren's voice echoed into the night as she rose to the edge of the water, "To threaten a Siren's family is to sign a death warrant."

"I…know… he managed to wheeze out, "You…would not…listen to me…last night."

Her eyes narrowed, "And you believed to threaten my family would cause me to react? I do not serve land-walkers, I shall not be a pawn in whatever game you intend to play."

"It's not a game!" he groaned, managing to get his breath back, "If it was…I would not be here. This is no game to me. This is my only option…or it was," he huffed.

"If you wish to die as keenly as you do, there are other ways than to drag myself and my clan into it," the Siren spat at him, eyeing him, "You are a king," she assessed, "I take your life, your kingdom takes mine and those of my family, and I will NEVER allow harm to befall them!"

Ethan frowned at that, blinking as he realized…he hadn't quite thought of that, of what the reaction would be for the sirens afterwards if he had gone through with his plans. He…hadn't quite thought of that, hadn't cared. He hadn't even thought that the Sirens could speak till last night but he had been so focused on the failure of his plans, so consumed by the events of the day, that he hadn't even realized that he thought them unintelligent creatures driven by instinct instead of reason.

But here she was, a siren, speaking to him, with actual words and cold logic.

"I…did not consider…"

"Consider us as beings to be concerned with?" the Siren cut in, "I am aware of what your kind thinks of us. I will not allow my actions to cause harm to my clan."

"I'm sorry," he offered, bowing his head, "I truly am…I…I just…" he sighed, "I needed your help, I needed a Siren to take my life. There was no other way."

She pursed her lips at that, "There are many ways to kill beyond drowning."

"I know THAT," he huffed, "I meant…there were no other options for one such as myself to take."

And that was true, there wasn't.

His brother was going to inherit the two kingdoms, it had all been planned, his brother had bene groomed from infancy to rule, it was in his heart and soul and character to be king, it was his destiny…but their parents had had a change of heart. His brother had a kindly heart, gentle and forgiving, he truly desired for his subjects to be happy, which was a noble sentiment…but foolish in that it was impossible, foolish in that it was neglectful to the kingdom as a whole to make every single person happy. He wouldn't manage, he would be taken advantage of, he would…be lenient when he needed to be firm.

It would be a ruin to him and the kingdoms as well.

A ruler needed a firmer heart, a stronger will than Leopold had, though he loved his brother dearly, even he could see that.

And so could their parents, they would not risk the fate of TWO kingdoms falling should Leopold's methods prove as ineffective as they all feared. They had spoken at length, consulted advisors, looked into lineage and inheritance, even spoken to Leopold about the thought of keeping the two kingdoms separate, bestowing one upon Leopold, their father's, and turning their mother's over to HIM. It had been done before, in titles, for the nobles. When a man had only daughters and no sons, as with his mother, there could be a way to carry on the lineage despite the lack of a son. If the daughter had TWO sons, the first would, naturally, be his father's heir. But the second…the second could be given its mother's name and title and inherit what she would have as their grandfather's heir instead of the mother.

He hadn't been prepared for it, he hadn't been groomed for it and he was…ill suited for it. He was as bad as Leopold in the reverse, he was too firm, too strict, his people would hate him. He hadn't been taught politics or negotiation, treasuries and banquets, treaties and lawmaking. He hadn't been taught anything that would fall into the realm of a king until only months ago.

And it was too much, it was all too much. The lessons and the pressure and the expectations that he be the king his brother wouldn't be, that he take upon himself the slack his brother would undoubtedly put on his own kingdom. It was too much, he was expected to go from spare heir to crowned King in mere months and he couldn't do it. He couldn't handle it, he couldn't take the pressure and the fear and the responsibility. He was miserable, he barely slept, he barely ate, he feared the future and the state that he would lead the kingdom to.

He just…he didn't want to do it any more, hadn't wanted to do it at all.

But he couldn't even step down. His parents had decreed the separate kingdoms already. If he abdicated, it would fall to another male heir to inherit it and it would break his mother's heart. He couldn't give up the throne either, he couldn't turn it down or it would be an insult to his parents and their faith in him. He could not physically say no to them, it was impossible…

But there was one way out, if he was not there any longer to claim the kingdom. If he were to disappear with the claim still on HIM, with the understanding that he had accepted it…if he disappeared, the kingdom would fall to Leopold instead as his 'heir.' He couldn't just disappear though, he was too recognized, he would be spotted and returned to the castle in no time. Which left only one more option, a more permanent method of disappearing.

Death.

To be honest…he had been considering it long before he thought about how it would keep the inheritance within his main family and send the kingdom back to Leopold. The pressure it was just too much, he truly just…he couldn't continue with it, he wanted it to stop and to end and to be free of it all…he'd contemplated what to do, how to do it. He had been writing his note before, had been about to leave it for the family so they would know he was sorry…

But it would be just as devastating to know that he was planning this. He'd just wanted to have some way to say goodbye to them, tell them he loved them, and that he was sorry he couldn't be the son and king they hoped for. As he gave it more thought, his method of death wouldn't have been believable if he left a note. To take his own life would be seen as him giving up his claim to the throne, it would be just like abdicating.

No, he had to make it seem like he'd been killed or that some sort of horrible accident had occurred.

And that was where the Sirens had come in.

They were well known throughout the realms, their magic a tale of caution to all those that came near a lake or travelled the sea. Anyone, anyone at all, even Leopold, could fall prey to them easily, could fall under their enchantments. Some heroes of legend had been able to free themselves from it in the past, some had been able to defeat the sirens and escape with their lives. But others hadn't. So many others had been drowned in the siren waters. It wouldn't be hard to believe that he might as well, that he hadn't been able to fight or had been caught unawares and killed.

He needed that, he'd realized, he needed to be killed instead of just…kill himself. Take his own life and he was forfeiting his mother's kingdom to someone else. But if he happened to…face a tragic accident, be murdered as it was, then Leopold would stand to inherit the kingdom. It would not be what their parents wanted, it would be the exact opposite of it, to give the man the kingdom they wished to save for HIM. But it would still be in the family and he had to hope that, maybe, his 'death' would help lessen his brother's naïve thoughts on happiness and goodwill and perhaps give his heart just the littlest pain to make him a stricter ruler. He had seen many people change after they lost someone they loved and he knew his brother loved him. He had seen many a person become someone different after another's death, colder, harder and while he doubted his brother would ever become a dark or hard or cold person, maybe just a little reality to his life and to face the harshness of life, to be unhappy himself would make him realize that you couldn't make every single person happy and not have a kingdom suffer for it.

But his plans had been dashed. He'd needed it to happen last night, not now. Die the night before his coronation and the next day, with everyone there for attendance and everything set up for the ceremony…and him not to arrive or be found floating in the waters…his brother could step into his place. As terrible as it was for his parents, as horrible as he knew it would be, they were royals, they were the king and queen until after the coronation was over, they would have to see it through for the sake of their many visiting guests, it could not be for nothing. And perhaps it would be a lesson to Leopold as well that, as badly as a king might be hurting, he had to put that aside for the people and do what was necessary, however much his brother would have raved and ranted against taking the crown.

Now though? Now he had no idea what to do. Now he was king of a kingdom he knew he was ill fit to rule.

And yet, even now, the desire to be relieved of the kingdom and the burden on him had only increased. He didn't care if he lived now, he was still unwed without a child for an heir, if he died, then his brother could still take over the kingdom though it would mean that HE would be listed in the history books as the king. He hadn't wanted that, he'd wanted no notoriety at all, he just…he couldn't stand it! He didn't want this, he couldn't bear it, but it was being forced on him and it was all too much.

He just wanted it to end.

"Please," he nearly begged, "It isn't too late. I need this to happen."

"I do not cater to the needs of the land-walkers nor others that would be threat to my family," the siren hissed, turning to leave once more.

"I'll come back!" he swore, giving her pause, "I'll come back. Every single day, until you do it."

The Siren narrowed her eyes to him, before slowly crouching down and scooping up a handful of water, clenching it in her fist, "Then this I swear upon the waves," she slowly let the water fall from her hand, "I, Ilayda, shall _never_ take the life of this man,"

Ethan glared as he watched the Siren, Ilayda (who knew they had _names_?) slowly sink into the water. He cared not for her solemn oaths or swearing upon water, it was water, it was fluid and changeable in direction, just as the flow of a river or pour of water could be changed with effort. And he had that, he was not going to let this go. He could tell that it would just get worse, now that he was king, all the responsibility he'd only heard about and tried to prepare for would be actually upon him.

It was going to get so much worse now. The people would come to HIM for help, HE would be the one inspecting the guards and the villages, HE would be the one drafting the laws and maintaining order, the one in charge of passing judgment and orders of executions. He would be the one that must maintain the treasury, but supply his people, protect them but also train the soldiers. He would be the one handling sicknesses and famine, threats and treaties and…

He closed his eyes, feeling his heart racing painfully in his chest, and gripped it, he would be the one every single person turned to instead of his parents. It made him want to weep just thinking of it he had no idea how he would survive the coming days. He had to find some way for Ilayda to revoke her oath, to become her prey, he just…he had to. There was no other way to do this without dishonoring his family.

He forced his eyes open, taking a deep breath, and swore an oath himself. He _would_ return, every night, to this very beach, and he would not leave until Ilayda had risen, until he had lured HER into taking his life. He doubted harm would befall her family afterwards, she would realize what threat might be coming for her and leave the cove, never to return, his people were not quite seafaring, they would not venture out that far over him. And if his brother did take his place on the throne the man was so softhearted he would give a simple speech about the dangers of the waters and not dare seek revenge, for that was too dark a deed to do.

Yes, he would return and find a way to get the bloody siren to do as was her nature.

Yet, as he turned to storm away from the beach, not once did he consider there were clearly OTHER Sirens there that he could find a way to lure out, as Ilayda had mentioned her clan, that she would not bring harm to them, they would have to be nearby for her to be concerned. Nor did he realize that…he now had a plan. He now had a desire to see the next night, to be on that beach and speak to that siren in particular, he already was thinking of what he would say or do on the morrow, considering what he would attempted the night after if it failed. He didn't realize that he was starting to look to the next day instead of wish this one was his last.

But, perhaps that would be beneficial in the end, if he were to look forward to the days to come for some reason. Perhaps it would make Ilayda think him willing and wanting to live instead.

Never did he consider that, perhaps, there was a chance it would actually _make_ him willing and wanting to live instead.

And that he'd have a Siren to thank for it.

A/N: From what I understand, Ethan means firm and strong, which was fitting while also being ironic in the sense that Ethan wasn't quite at his strongest here, but later would grow to be the strong and firm one of the brothers ;) Also a little fitting and ironic is Ilayda (which I pronounce in my head as Ill-A-dah), which means 'water fairy' which is fitting because of water but ironic because she's certainly NOT a fairy and her daughter would one day come to dislike fairies too ;) But now we know Piper's parents names! :) King Ethan and Queen Ilayda :)

I wanted to sort of do a little prequel to Piper's story, like how she even came to be :) We'll also see the point where Ilayda decides to leave her family for Ethan (and why) and his family's reaction to her ;)

Some notes on reviews...

I can say there probably won't be a Regina/Robin encounter in this story, but Piper will encounter both of them separately. Robin's reaction to some things might be quite...surprising in how dark they actually are }:)

If Gold left for an extended period, it would depend, in this story, the reason behind it ;) He left Storybrooke once before, with Piper, to get Neal and they were both fine (for a reason I can't quite say just yet ;)). So, in this story, if he left the town like normal, he would be fine and so would Piper. Because they both left before and weren't affected by their hearts, I have another reason planned for what affected Gold this time ;) I felt like, in the show, they implied that Robin had only been in NY a few days and if he and Gold left around the same time, then Gold was only there a couple days too before his heart started to give. Which, to me, seemed to be just about the same amount of time he spent outside of Storybrooke when searching for Neal, so I didn't understand why he suddenly started to have his heart give out then so quickly. In the story, there'll be a different reason for his heart giving out than just that he left Storybrooke. In normal circumstances, their hearts would be fine. For the theory, in this story, Gold would probably be fine, and Piper would probably be fine, she'd still be in a magical area so his heart wasn't leaving to a place where the darkness could affect it, and her own heart in Gold wouldn't be affected because it's not HIS heart in his chest as he leaves ;)

I can say Emma and Henry will both give her a hug at different points yup ;)

I think David might get a little gold star like 'you tried!' lol :) As for Snow, it's definitely tricky for her, because it's almost like, even though she grew up with her cousin and saw her aunt, through a child's eyes she almost just brushed it aside, because only her cousin and aunt were like that and not like everyone else, so it's more like a quirk to her than a real and deep understanding into their nature. She's not a siren so she can't possibly understand what Piper feels about family, she can be told about it, see actions of it, but she has no idea just how deep the feeling goes. She tries to understand and learn about Sirens, but, for her, it's one of those things that she'll never full grasp till she can experience it herself and there's no way for her to do that :( It's a little bit of both for Henry. He sort of wants it to be an Operation JUST for him and his mother, since he had one almost exclusively with Emma, he fully plans to let Piper and Gold in on it later, but for now he really wants to do this for his mother and have it be something for just the two of them :) Oh the Shattered Sight curse will be interesting to see. There will be quite a few twists coming that the other characters might not see coming or even...be a little angry about afterwards }:)

I definitely wanted to keep to the thought that Piper and Gold developed, Villains don't GET happy endings, they have to FIGHT for them, fight themselves at times to have it :) Season 4B will be a bit tricky for bonding, but Piper will very much still want to have Emma's back, though I can say there will be a very big couple of bonding moments coming up for Emma and Piper ;) Emma would definitely turn to Piper for both a villain and family's perspective on events. I can say it may be one of the very rare times where Piper fully condemns Snow's actions despite herself being a villain, though it'll be for a MUCH more personal and hurting reason than the mere crime of harming Lily }:)


	13. The Snow Queen

The Snow Queen

Piper slowly examined a candle that Emma had placed on her desk in the sheriff's station, not entirely certain that this small piece of wax would be able to capture the Snow Queen as Belle had told them, even less certain as it came from the fairies and she was loath to trust anything when it came to them. However Gold had confirmed that the candle was very powerful indeed, enough to at least trap the Snow Queen for a short time.

"Belle found something in here a spell," Emma was explaining to Elsa, "It may be able to work against the Snow Queen."

"You don't mean kill her?" Elsa frowned.

"No."

"If we did mean kill her, believe you me, we would not need a mere candle," Piper muttered, setting it down, "There are many other ways, simpler ways, to end a life, magical or not."

Elsa nodded slowly at that, before she glanced at Emma, almost questioningly.

"Yeah…" Emma sighed, "She um…she's protective."

"I'm aware," Elsa let out a little breath, glancing at Piper once more as the half-siren smirked at her, crossing her arms. Elsa shook her head at that, focusing on Emma once more, Piper had threatened her nearly the very first moment they had met, she was WELL aware of how protective and dangerous the woman was.

"But no one's killing anyone," Emma gave Piper a firm look even as her 'aunt' rolled her eyes at the declaration, "It'll just neutralize her powers. Maybe."

Elsa frowned at the small book that Emma had set before her where the spell had been found, "Can you read this?"

"Elvish?" Emma scoffed, "No, I didn't even see 'Lord of The Rings…'" she trailed off when she realized Elsa was staring at her oddly for that, "Never mind."

"What about you?" Elsa turned to Piper, "You are this…Dark One's true love, aren't you?" she'd heard whispers through town about it.

"And you are this Snow Queen's niece," Piper countered, "Do you not know a weakness of hers to exploit?"

Elsa fell silent at that, understanding. Just because you knew someone or lived with them didn't mean you knew every single thing they did.

"We don't need to worry about reading the Elvish," Emma spoke, "Belle translated it. It tells us how to enact the spell."

Elsa looked over as Emma pulled a paper out of her pocket and unfolded it, handing it to the Queen to read, "'With both hands, hold the candle and then use your magic to light it. And then when you blow on it…'"

"Then bam!" Emma nodded, "She's right back to selling ice cream. My guess is business will be down."

"Maybe without her powers we can talk to her," Elsa started to smile, "We can find Anna. We can get some real answers!"

"And if she still shall not speak, I offer my magic, Emma," Piper added. She doubted it would come to that, she didn't particularly care to use her magic on the Snow Queen just yet, lest she reveal something she ought not, but Emma would expect her to make such an offer, and, if it did come to that end, she _would_ be more than happy to use her magic if it would help her niece.

"Thanks," Emma gave her a small smile for that, the three of them lapsing into silence for a minute or two, before Emma spoke again, "Does your sister have magic?" she looked at Elsa.

"No," she sighed, "And I think that's why the Snow Queen is so interested in you."

"Yeah."

"You are a special girl, Emma," Piper told her gently, earning more of a smile this time.

"Does anyone in your family have magic?" Elsa continued.

"Just Aunt P," Emma answered absently, gesturing lightly at Piper, before blinking, straightening as though realizing what she'd said, "I mean…Piper…"

"Aunt P is fine," Piper reassured her, knowing that Emma wasn't entirely comfortable being so…familiar with her in public just yet. She still lapsed into calling Mary Margaret and David by their names instead of mom or dad as well so she didn't take it to heart.

"Yeah," Emma muttered, a small flush on her cheeks at how…easily that had come out.

She'd struggled, for…SO long to just be able to call her parents mom and dad, and that, calling her 'aunt' that had just come out so quickly, so naturally. She started to smile just a bit at the thought that, perhaps, it meant that they were getting closer, that they were bonding like a family too. Lord knew that the family could use some bonding at the moment. She still wasn't sure what had gone down between Piper and Mary Margaret, neither woman was talking about it though her mother asked her (and David…and Henry) every single chance she got how Piper was and if she was ok and if she was doing well and things. None of them, save David given his empathetic expression towards his wife, knew what had been said, but for Mary Margaret to feel that guilty it had to be something bad.

But she knew enough from herself not to push Piper to talk about it till the woman was ready, it was the same for her, nothing came from pushing save to make the person more reluctant to talk.

"And you, Piper?" Elsa turned in the chair she was sitting in to observe Piper, "You and…Mary Margaret are cousins, yes?" Piper gave a short nod, "Were there any on your family that had magic?"

"My mother," Piper stated.

"And her family?"

"If you count those that would kill you upon sight as family, then yes," Piper waved it off, "My mother was a Siren."

Elsa's eyes widened at that, clearly having heard tales of them, "Oh."

"Yes," Piper remarked, "I was the only one with my magic as Snow and I grew."

"Like me…" Elsa murmured, "Like Emma…"

"I didn't have my magic till like last year," Emma shook her head, "I didn't really grow up with it."

"But you're still the only one of your family that have it," Elsa looked at Emma, all of them aware that she knew Piper had magic but that she wasn't really her immediate family, the cousin of Emma's mother, but not Emma's mother of father or son or brother, "It's hard when they look at you differently, isn't it?"

"They don't," Emma said quickly, frowning only when she saw Piper look away, down at the candle.

"You're lucky," Elsa smiled, thinking of her parents.

"I do believe you should try this," Piper held up the candle, changing the subject, seeing Emma about to speak to HER, "Ensure that it works as the bookworm believes."

Emma rolled her eyes at Piper's term for Belle, she wasn't sure if it was a disassociation method for the woman, to not use the proper names but other titles for those outside the family to make herself not care for them, or if it was something she genuinely didn't realize she was doing as she truly didn't care about anyone outside the family. She knew Piper as half siren, so the family came first, but…she was half human too, wasn't she? That had to mean she cared at least a little. But then again, she was the one that called Marian the forest maid, and Belle the book worm, she even called David the Shepherd a few times.

"Ok," she let out a breath, not about to ask, it wasn't any of her business how Piper felt about other people. She knew she had far too many people in her own life trying to tell her how to feel about things, she wasn't going to take that from Piper, "Here," she held out her hand and Piper handed it over, the woman stepping back to give ample space between Emma and Elsa as the two other blondes turned to each other, Elsa standing.

Emma stood before Elsa, holding the candle before her, focusing enough to light the small wick with her magic before concentrating and blowing at the small flame. It trailed off from the wick, growing longer and stronger and brighter as it neared Elsa, a force seeming to pull Elsa's wrists forwards, the fire just touching her…

Before it fizzled out.

"I'm sorry," Emma sighed.

"You did well for a first attempt," Piper stepped forward, having been standing rather tensely in the corner, away from the fire, to take the now extinguished candle from her niece, "No master is born in the first try."

"Should we try again?" Elsa smiled at Emma, hopeful.

But Emma gave her an apologetic smile, "Later. I have to meet Mary Margaret. I'm supposed to babysit…tonight…" she trailed off, looking at Piper as the woman turned and, with a rather firm slam of the desk draw set the candle within it.

She probably should have said something a bit different now that she thought about it. The night she'd gone to meet Piper and talk to her had been the same night that Piper had babysat for Neal. Clearly the confrontation had happened then so bringing up that SHE would be babysitting didn't seem to be the best move she'd ever made.

"Life goes on," Elsa murmured, moving to sit back down.

"We'll find her," Emma promised.

Elsa smiled at that, "It's ok. Go. I'll be here."

Piper gave Emma a nod as she left, knowing that Emma would find it odd that she wasn't offering to go with her to see Neal, but also understanding that something had clearly happened between her and Mary Margaret and being forced to confront the woman wouldn't be wise.

Elsa let out a longer breath and hunched forward, resting her head in her hands the moment the door to the station closed.

"Have you ever lost someone?" Elsa tilted her head up to look at Piper, "Someone important to you? Someone you'd do anything to get back?"

Piper's lips pursed at that, "Which type of important? Would it be important as a parent? One that was seen murdered before my eyes and that I would not rest till I had seen the same thing happen to the murderer, for their parents to die before their eyes? Or would it be important as in a child, lost to me in the sense that he holds no memories of me at all and not at all by my own hand? Or maybe you mean another son, lost in death? Or, perhaps, a cousin I almost thought dead? Someone that I lost through the hunting of another woman who would use me as a target, lost through a curse for 28 years, and lost through mistrust? Or even the loss of a true love that drove me near to the brink of insanity to the point where my 'anything to get him back' involved human sacrifice that ultimately led to his own son dying for my sins? Do tell me, Elsa, which 'someone important' do you mean?"

Elsa's expression to her words seemed to be one of both pity, surprise, and sorrow at the list that had been described to her.

And all of it was true, she HAD lost more people than she cared to think about. Her parents, her cousin for a time (her cousin perhaps even now), her son, her would-be son, her true love…every single person important to her she had lost in some way as the times went on.

"I'm sorry," Elsa breathed, "I…I didn't know you'd lost so much."

"I am aware," Piper's tone was dry yet held a hint of exasperation to it, "No one is more important than your dear sister, Anna, why bother to consider that others have lost far worse than you."

She knew she was being a hypocrite in that. So much of what she had done in the past was to protect her cousin and her family, but she never denied that others suffered as well. She could understand Elsa's obsession with finding her sister, yes, but she was getting rather sick of how ALL Elsa seemed to focus on and talk about was Anna!

Though...perhaps it was more her irritation with Mary Margaret making her less inclined to try and understand another person in this situation. From what Elsa had said, from what she knew, Anna was Elsa's support and acceptor. She was...she was to Elsa what Snow White had been to HER, the one member of your blood-family that would accept you no matter what as a child, growing up, being there for you. And she felt like she was on the verge of losing her cousin in that sense. It was...grating her to hear how, after all the things that had happened with Elsa and Anna, that Anna still trusted and loved her sister regardless.

"I lost my parents too!" Elsa defended.

"I lost my parents, my kingdom, my people to a massacre in a single night," Piper's eyes narrowed at her, "I lost two of my sons, I lost all of my family to curses and memory wipes, I lost my true love to a Wicked Witch. I would not be surprised if I have lost my own soul by now. So do not DARE speak to me as though your grievances are the greatest in the land. You know nothing, Elsa. I have lost more than most and yet you do not hear me lamenting it to every person I meet nor constantly bringing it up to them. My cousin, who was more a sister to me, was lost for 28 years, I searched for her for decades so do not try to pull that with me, Elsa, your sister, in your reckoning has only been missing mere days."

Elsa fell silent at that, unable to really argue. She couldn't even count how many times she had brought up Anna or needing to find her since she had arrived at Storybrooke. Piper was right, she wasn't the only one that had ever suffered and she wouldn't be the last. She may have lost her parents…but she still had her sister (somewhere), her kingdom, her people, everything else, perhaps even true love one day. And Emma had told her about the curse, 28 years of families separated, but Piper seemed to be outside the curse, she couldn't imagine what it would be like searching for Anna for 28 years...

"I'm sorry," Elsa repeated.

Piper gave her a curt nod and they lapsed into silence a long while.

"You…" Elsa cut off quickly when Piper looked sharply over at her, before taking a breath and pushing on, she was a Queen after all, "You said that you were the only one with magic like yours as a child?"

Piper considered Elsa for a length, debating whether to speak any more or not, before she let out a long breath, "The children used to call me demon spawn," she muttered, "Snow never heard that one. But I did."

She wasn't sure, in that exact moment, whether she was trying to prove that her experiences growing were worse than Elsa's or if she might be on the cusp of almost wanting to empathize with the girl before her.

"No one really knew I had magic," Elsa remarked, "Not till my coronation."

"I never made it to my coronation."

"I condemned my entire kingdom to an endless winter before the end of mine."

"I would rather ice over fire," Piper mused, "Regina had my entire kingdom burned to the ground, all my subjects executed, and ripped my father's heart out and crushed it herself."

Elsa's eyes were wide at that.

So…perhaps too much information just then.

And...perhaps more competing than empathizing right now.

"Sirens do not do well with fire," she added with a shrug, Regina had known that.

"Then…the people knew what you were?" Elsa asked after another moment.

"It is quite hard to hide the fact that the queen is not human," Piper stated, "And my father would not deny who and what my mother was, he would not hide her as though she were some dark shame to be kept out of sight."

"He loved her," Elsa had to smile at that.

"Very much."

"And he…he loved you too?" Elsa eyed her.

"With all his heart."

"He...your family never looked at you differently?"

"My parents could hardly," Piper shook her head, "I was Siren as my mother was, and my father loved her despite that. Snow grew older with me. She would not..." she trailed off at that last one.

If Mary Margaret could see Gold as untrustworthy, if she could find HER untrustworthy when it came to Gold...how long would it be before she didn't trust her with anything at all? How long before she DID see her differently? See her as a monster?

Elsa's smile turned sad at that, not quite catching the reason she'd trailed off, "I wish my parents had felt the same," she admitted, "I know they loved me, but…they feared me. I know they did. They wanted me to hide my power, conceal it, don't feel it, don't let it show," she repeated, as though stating an old lesson, "They didn't want anyone to know what I could do."

"That is no way to live," Piper shook her head, "A child with a gift of magic must express it or else they cannot train in it or learn to control it properly."

"Your magic…it's music, isn't it?"

"Yes," Piper nodded, "I can use instruments or even my voice to…charm the minds of others, influence them, drive them to insanity or lull them to sleep, sway their thoughts or torment them…many things."

"And you could do this as a child?

"Since before I can remember."

"I had my gifts as a child too," Elsa murmured, "I thought I was a monster. It didn't matter that no one else had called me it, I just thought I was one. I…I hurt Anna, when we were children, badly. I never forgave myself."

"I never believed myself a monster while the children called me it," Piper thought back to that, "I never truly did, Snow would not let me. But…as I grew older, ironically, after I had left the children behind and ventured out on my own. THAT was when I began to see myself as one instead."

"What made you change?"

"Humans can be every bit as monstrous as the creatures they fear."

Elsa frowned at that, not sure she wanted to know what the Piper had experienced, the humans she'd met that had been so…cruel…that they'd turned her into the monster she never saw herself as being.

"How…how did you escape it?" she wondered, "How did you come to see yourself as not being a monster anymore? Anna helps me, her…her faith in me."

"You think I do not believe myself a monster still?" Piper scoffed, "I have no issue being a monster, Elsa. Being one is…" she cut herself off swiftly, realizing this was treading dangerously close to…conversation, to a deep conversation with someone else that should not be privy to her inner most thoughts.

But…Elsa had been much the same, cold (literally), raised fearing her potential to be a monster, isolated and closed off (though she had chosen her own willingly), with magic no one else understood save, perhaps, the Snow Queen in her family. She had been rejected by her kingdom, called a monster, misunderstood, and had only one person left for her that believed in her…

Yes, she supposed she could relate to Elsa slightly.

"Being one is…what?" Elsa frowned.

Piper sighed, "Being one is…the only way I can help keep my family safe," she answered, "I can protect them better if I care not for anything else but them."

Elsa blinked at that, "Forgive my saying but…it almost sounds like you're _choosing_ to be a 'monster' instead of actually BEING one."

Piper looked over at her, "Perhaps I am, perhaps I am not. I think that line has blurred far too long ago. If ever I was not a monster and decided to be one, I am one now. And that is all that matters. Whether others believe my intent to keep my family safe or not, whether my own family sees me as one…it matters not."

Elsa frowned at that last part, it sounded even more like Piper was trying to convince herself that, if her family ever saw her as a monster, that it wouldn't matter…because being one was what kept them safe.

"Does your fam…"

Thankfully the question Elsa was about to ask was cut off by the phone of the station ringing once more.

Piper leaned over and quickly picked it up, "Yes?"

"Piper?" David's voice called.

"You know what my voice sounds like, shepherd," she nearly hissed at him, "You need not question if it is me every time I answer!"

"Right, sorry," David muttered, "Look, I need you and Emma to come down to the clocktower."

"Why?"

"The Snow Queen's icy trail leads into it, and it doesn't look like there's another trail coming out, so she may be in there right now."

"Why would she leave a trail instead of teleport, can she not do that?"

"I don't know what she's doing, but it looks like she's in there and we need to act fast. Have Emma bring Elsa…"

"Elsa is with me at the moment," she cut in, "I shall bring her. You may need to call Emma, she has already left to pick up Neal."

"Damn it," David sighed, "Alright, just get her here!"

Piper blinked as he hung up, "Rude."

~8~

Piper tilted her head as she observed Emma, staring through a two-way mirror in the sheriff's station, the girl frowning at the Snow Queen sitting primly at the interrogation room table, her hands, in manacles, resting on the surface of it. It had been…easy, too easy, to capture the Snow Queen, something Emma seemed to sense as well given how intently she was staring at the woman within. They had met David at the clock tower, Emma joining them a moment later though she seemed distressed and quiet, far more business-focused than she should have been which set Piper on the alert that something was equally wrong with Emma. They'd stormed up the tower, Emma in the lead, with Elsa just behind, had the Snow Queen fire an icy shard at Emma that nicked her neck but Emma reacted quickly, using the candle to attack the Snow Queen, to bind her wrists in magic to neutralize her.

David may or may not have had to drag her back down the stairs with a hand over her mouth to keep her from using her magic when she caught sight of the scrape on Emma's neck from the Snow Queen's attack so that she wouldn't kill the woman for harming her family right off the bat.

Hook had been left in charge of the Snow Queen's mirror that was stationed at the top of the tower, David returning to help him guard it just after he'd helped drag the Snow Queen to the station.

And there they were, staring at the Snow Queen while Elsa composed herself in another room, flurries had started to appear around her and she just needed a moment she'd told them.

"Is all well Emma?" Piper asked after a moment, when Emma let out a particularly long yet almost sad breath.

"Yeah."

"Truth," Piper hesitated a moment before nudging her, "I can hear the lie in your voice."

Emma shook her head, "I wonder if that's where I got my superpower," she tried to lighten the mood, "Look, it's…it's nothing, really."

"'Nothing' would not disturb you the way it did when you arrived at the clock tower," she frowned, "Did Snow say something to you?"

Emma let out the smallest of laughs at that, "What, going to protect me from my mother now?"

"If you need it, yes."

Emma blinked at that, a little surprised, but…Piper was looking at her, dead serious, really meaning that, if she needed help dealing with Mary Margaret she would do it, "I thought you weren't speaking to her."

" _I_ am not," she stressed, "But if it is upon your behalf…"

"No," Emma shook her head, "I don't need anyone to fight my battles for me."

"Nor was I offering that," Piper countered, turning to look at the Snow Queen, "I offered assistance. You are a strong woman Emma, confident and competent, you are not a damsel that needs a hero to defend you. I merely offer my assistance in being the…counselor to your war council should you have need of me."

This time Emma did laugh, "Thanks, but really, it wasn't anything," she looked through the glass as well, taking a deep breath before giving in, "I just…seeing Mary Margaret at the mommy-and-me group…" she shrugged, "It…it threw me off."

She wasn't used to this, she really wasn't. She wasn't used to talking about her feelings. But…she wanted to try. Regina had said that, of all the people in her family, Piper could understand her best. And while she doubted she'd understand THIS, it…it was nice to have someone to talk to about it. Someone that knew Mary Margaret, that would…defend her when it was needed but agree when the woman was wrong. She didn't need David making excuses for her, she didn't need Henry trying to give her the same sort of understanding speech, Neal was a baby, and…Piper was…she didn't know. She knew that she loved Mary Margaret deeply, she might be biased, but she also hadn't had a problem in the past telling the woman when she was being daft or going too far.

She certainly hadn't had a problem telling HER she'd made the most god awful mistake known to mankind when she altered the past.

Piper…she seemed to 'tell it like it is' and that was what she needed.

And…Piper had said she wanted to find her, had searched for her for 28 years. Anyone willing to and dedicated enough to do that, to care that much, well…Piper wouldn't do anything to hurt her and she wouldn't want her to be hurt and she could tell the woman would try to help her in anyway she could. Even if it was just to listen.

"How so?" Piper asked.

"I noticed that Neal had a ton of things that I had to take with me to babysit him," Emma began, crossing her arms, "And Mary Margaret sort of may have said that she wanted to give him everything…"

"She would have given you everything as well, Emma," Piper remarked, not judging her for her feelings, "Your nursery in the Enchanted Forest was proof enough of that."

"Yeah," she nodded, she'd thought of that as she'd remarked on Neal's things, a little sad she hadn't gotten to use any of the things that had been in the nursery, but knowing she would have if not for the curse, "And then I found out that the group isn't just for mothers with children but, well, _first-time_ mothers."

Piper frowned at that, "Snow is not a first time mother."

"That's what I felt," Emma admitted, "But I mean, I get it, she sort of IS in the sense she hasn't actually raised a kid," she winced at that, "I might have mentioned that all she had experience with was shoving one through a wardrobe."

She glanced at Piper, expecting her to leap to Mary Margaret's defense at that, to remark that she had no choice, that the curse was coming and…

"Well she did," Piper shrugged, "There is no lie in that."

Emma let out a breath through her nose, "That must have been one hell of a fight you two had," she muttered.

Piper's lips pursed at that, swallowing hard, crossing her own arms to mimic Emma's stance subconsciously, "I dare say it was."

"I'm not asking," Emma added, "You want to tell me, you'll tell me."

"Same here Emma," Piper glanced at her, "You wish to speak, I shall listen, but do not feel the need to tell me what you do not wish to speak of."

"No, it's good, I…I sort of WANT to talk about it. I just…I feel like I CAN talk about it with you, if that makes any sense at all."

Piper offered her a small smile, "It does."

"Right, good," Emma nodded.

"I do sense though that that was not the last of it?"

"Not by a long shot," Emma huffed, "I felt bad that I said the wardrobe thing. So I tried to say it was ok, that I was over it. I was happy for her, you know, getting to experience it all. I AM happy for her. Cause I mean, yeah, I missed growing up with a family but she missed raising a child and I have a family NOW and she has a child now and…the next thing I know they're all staring at me like I'm about to curse them."

"What?" Piper shook her head, "Why on earth…"

"I had Neal's bottle in my hand, and it was…it was glowing," Emma turned to her, "I was pouring magic into it and, I mean, I'm sure it was just left over from trying that candle but…"

"Even if it was not, it is not like you can control your magic just yet, Emma," Piper argued, "If you only knew the tales I could tell of when I was still learning my songs and music. As I said before, the first attempt does not a master make," Emma still seemed unsure, so she continued, "One time I was singing, some…nonsense song about foxes and hares, just for fun, because I was bored…and the next thing we knew, the castle had been invaded by them."

"You're kidding me," Emma smiled at that, a hint of a laugh on her lips.

"Sadly that is not the only example," she sighed, "One time I was sad, I don't even remember what I was sad about, but I was humming a tune to try and cheer myself up, try and see if I could even use my magic on myself…"

"Let me guess, you had the entire castle laughing like they were high on nitrous oxide?"

"I had them balling their eyes out, curled up in fetal positions on the floor, and the knights weeping in each other's arms."

This time Emma couldn't stop the laugh that came out of her.

"And...there ARE worse examples than that, times where my magic hurt someone or another. But my point is Emma, magic takes time and practice. Most of it, in the early stages, comes from emotion, powerful emotion that we cannot hold in."

"So what was I doing then?" Emma shook her head, "What could I have been doing to the bottle?"

"If I had to guess, from what you have told me, infusing it with protection?"

"Really?" Emma shifted at that, something Piper noticed instantly, "You _really_ think I was trying to help him?"

"Well I hardly doubt you were trying to poison him," she deadpanned, "You were thinking of your brother yes? How happy you were that he would get to experience what you could not?"

"Yeah," Emma shrugged.

"Then I have no doubt that you were trying to help him," she reached out and put a hand on her arm, "You want him to not experience what you had, to not have the hardships, you wanted him to be well and healthy and protected, yes?"

"Yeah," Emma sounded firmer in her response this time, "I did."

"Then _that_ is what you were doing," she eyed Emma a moment, "I take it my paranoid cousin did not think the same?"

Emma looked away, "I stepped in to take Neal, to start babysitting…" she sighed, "Mary Margaret stepped back, she couldn't even _look_ at me, wouldn't even let me touch him…"

"I have been there," Piper murmured, making Emma look up at her with a frown at the words, but Piper wouldn't let her speak, merely continued, "Take heart Emma, in the reminder that YOU were one of the few that came to Neal's rescue when the Witch took him. You fought, even without your magic, to save your brother. A love like that, a protective instinct, it does not go away for no reason. You faced down a powerful sorceress, while you were powerless, to save him. And if Snow ever fails to remember that when you wish to hold your brother, you best remind her of that. Understood?"

Emma nodded, "Yes ma'am," she swallowed hard, her voice cracking slightly.

She had no idea how much she'd needed that, needed someone to reassure her she wasn't about to accidently harm her brother. Piper was right, all she had ever done from the moment she found out her mother was going to have another child was protect it, protect them both, and recuse him. She would sooner sell her beloved yellow bug than see any harm befall her brother. And if Mary Margaret actually thought SHE was a danger to her brother, well…she would just remind the woman that SHE had gone there to rescue him, that she had protected him and would always protect him, no matter what.

"Thanks."

Piper nodded, glancing over her shoulder as Elsa stepped into the room, "Are we ready?"

Elsa took a breath but gave a firm nod, "I am. Emma?"

"Let's do this," she glanced at Piper, "You coming in with us?"

Piper considered the Snow Queen but shook her head, "I believe it is a bone you two have to pick with her," she smiled a bit, "But I shall be right here for you if you need me."

Emma nodded, actually relieved that she was staying. She looked to Elsa and nodded at the room before stepping past Piper and entering the room, "Alright, Queenie, time to talk," she strode through the room and came to stand before the Snow Queen, Elsa beside her.

"Ooh," the woman gave an almost sad expression and a nod to Emma's scratched neck, "You should get that looked at, Emma."

"Oh, _now_ you want to play nice?" Emma scoffed.

"With you two? Don't you understand, that's all I've ever wanted."

Elsa shook her head, "We don't care what you want. Where is Anna? She's alive. We know it. We heard her heartbeat."

"You…heard her heartbeat?" the Snow Queen lifted an eyebrow at that.

"From Bo Peep's Crook."

She gave an almost snorting laugh, "Sounds like someone's grasping at straws about their long-lost sister."

"What happened to her?!"

"I'm not sure you should care. I told you she's the one who put you in that urn. I have no idea why you'd want to find someone like that."

"Because she is my sister and she would never do what you say!"

"Or she's your sister and she couldn't handle what you what we are, and she did exactly as I say."

"No!" Elsa slammed a fist down on the table before the Snow Queen who merely smirked up at her.

"Elsa!" Emma hissed, reaching out to take Elsa by the arm, leading her to the doorway, into the hall, back to Piper, "Please. Take it easy. She's getting under your skin. Don't let your emotions cloud your judgment. If we want answers, we have to be calm."

"She knows what happened to Anna!"

"And we're gonna figure it all out," Emma promised.

"Perhaps you should join the others with the mirror?" Piper suggested, "You will be no help here if you cannot remain calm and, at the moment, your sister is too sore a subject for you to rein yourself in."

Elsa shot her a small glare that held no power behind it.

"She's right," Emma nodded, "You go help David and Hook try to figure out how to take apart her mirror. I got this."

"Emma…" Elsa shook her head, not wanting to leave Emma alone.

"WE have this," Piper corrected, "I will not leave my niece to face this threat alone, Elsa. You go, assist the men, with ice powers yours may be what they need to dismantle the mirror," or realize it was fake, she hadn't gotten the same feeling off the mirror as she had in the cave, during the brief moment she'd gotten to glimpse it before David was pulling her off that is, "I shall stay with Emma."

"I'll be fine," Emma nodded, "Trust me."

Elsa looked between them, hesitating, but eventually nodded and turned to go.

Emma let out a thankful breath and glanced at Piper once Elsa had left the room, "Anything you can do to help?" she nodded at the room.

Piper smirked darkly.

"Not like that!" Emma huffed, "We are _not_ killing her or torturing her for answers."

Piper pouted.

"Are you actually _pouting_?" Emma felt herself smile despite the situation, Piper just shrugged, "I meant is there anything you can do to help ME keep my cool?" she glanced at the Snow Queen, "She really knows how to get under skin and we can't afford for me to blow up at her."

"I may be able to help," Piper nodded, "There are speakers within yes?" she glanced at the room, Emma nodded, "I can play a tune over them, we could tell the Snow Queen it is merely a recording…"

"Because we don't want to risk her finding out there's magic in it," Emma nodded, understanding why Piper wouldn't want the Snow Queen to know it was her playing, if they ever needed her music again, it would be best if the woman didn't know it came from Piper.

"Yes," Piper nodded, "It should be able to calm you down if you have need of it."

"Good," Emma glanced to the side where a small microphone was sitting and made her way over to it, quickly setting it up. She stepped away for Piper to sit before it and start to play, understanding Emma wanted the music going before she went back in, to keep with the 'recording' cover, "Wish me luck," Emma muttered, Piper only able to give her a nod for it as she headed back into the room with the Snow Queen, "Hope you don't mind the tunes," she started immediately, nodding up at the speakers, "Helps to soothe the savage beast doesn't it?"

The Snow Queen frowned, "Are you calling me a beast? That's not very nice."

"You're not my mother, lady, you don't get to scold me on manners."

"Speaking of manners," the Snow Queen glanced at the door, "Is Elsa not joining us?"

"No," Emma shook her head, "Looks like it's just me."

"Good," the Snow Queen smiled as Emma sat down across from her, "You're the one I wanted to talk to anyway."

"Yeah, yeah," she rolled her eyes, crossing her arms, "I know. You want me to turn to the dark side and be your sister-buddy-something or other. I'm not interested."

"I'm so proud of you, Emma…"

"No," Emma cut in, "That's not gonna work. I know that we have a past, which we're gonna get into, but you're _not_ gonna push _my_ buttons."

"I'm being completely sincere. Use your super power, you'll see I'm telling the truth."

Emma frowned at that, almost about to be concerned and suspicious, on edge, about how she knew, when the music on the speakers drifted over to her, the pause in her response allowing her to hear the tune, it was…soothing, really soothing actually. She blinked, "Let me guess, I told you?"

The Snow Queen didn't seem quite pleased that she'd guessed that, that she hadn't been thrown off, "When you were a child," she nodded, starting to smile, "What a lovely child you were. I am so grateful I got to know you then."

"Don't talk to me like we're friends," Emma shook her head.

"We're not _friends_ , Emma. We're _family_."

Emma snorted at that, "I know that's what you want, but whatever past we had, the past you stole from me, I know enough to tell you about the future. And what you want? It ain't gonna happen, sister."

"Oh, but it will. You see, at the end of the day, you'll understand that everything that I've been saying is true. And then you'll do the last thing in the world you'd think possible right now."

"Yeah?" Emma lifted an eyebrow, "What's that?"

The Snow Queen smiled, "You're going to let me go. Now then," she leaned in, "What would you like to talk about?"

Emma eyed her a moment, not sure if she was being serious, but tried her luck, "The Spell of Shattered Sight. Pretty impressive stuff."

They had been in the sheriff's station, her, Hook, and Elsa, going over a genealogy book Elsa had found of her family, showing the Snow Queen's two sisters, Elsa's mother and another sister that looked a good deal like Emma. Elsa had found a scroll in the Snow Queen's files and been able to translate it, apparently it identified the Savior as a girl named Emma...who would become the Snow Queen's sister, somehow. It became all too clear that the Snow Queen was planning to replace her two sisters with Elsa and her. As though it couldn't have gotten any worse, Belle ran in, shouting about a mirror she'd come across in the Snow Queen's lair, a dark and evil mirror that showed you the darkest parts of yourself. When Hook had mentioned smashing it to keep it from harming anyone, Belle had dropped the bombshell that that was exactly what was supposed to happen. To smash the mirror was to enact the Spell of Shattered Sight, which would cause everyone to see and think and become their darkest selves...it would cause the town to tear itself apart. And they had to stop it.

"What does it matter?" the Snow Queen shrugged, "You stopped me."

"That's right. I did. We know who you are. We know what you're planning. And we know that for some sick, twisted reason, you want Elsa and me to replace your long-lost sisters."

"Well, then, you have all your answers. May I retire to my cell now?"

Emma smirked this time, seeing that she'd gotten to the woman with talk of her sisters, "No. I want to know why. Why have you been tracking me my whole life?"

There was only one person she knew that had been actually trying to find her through her life, and she doubted the Snow Queen had the same reasons.

"I was trying to protect you, Emma."

Emma scoffed, "Is that what you were doing in the foster home, protecting me? So why did you erase my memories? Because they were just too good?"

The Snow Queen's lips pursed, "Every family has their ups and downs."

"You see, no," she shook her head, "You and I we are not family. I have one of those, and it spans three generations and 400 years."

"Family isn't about blood," the Snow Queen argued, "It is a bond far stronger than mere genetics. Elsa and I are your _real_ family because we are the only ones like you. We belong together. The family that you think you have, they may love you, but they also fear you."

Emma's jaw tensed at her words, pausing, taking a deep breath as she heard the song on the speakers, feeling her lips curl into a smile that seemed to surprise the Snow Queen. Clearly she hadn't done enough research if she thought no one in her family was like her, if she thought that her family would fear her merely for having magic.

Her aunt was the Pied Piper for god's sake.

Her step-great-grandmother, the Evil Queen.

Her son's grandfather the Dark One.

Of all the people in her twisted family tree, she was the LAST one to fear, and if her mother and father and son could accept all those three before her as family and not fear them, then there was no chance at all that her parents would ever fear HER.

"No," she said simply, "They don't."

The Snow Queen eyed her a moment, seeming almost confused, almost as though she were trying to work something out, "You've never seem them wince at your power?" she tried, "You've never seen a twinge of panic just behind their eyes? Not even once? I find that hard to believe."

Emma tried not to let on how those words had gotten to her, had pulled the memory of Mary Margaret flinching back, not letting her touch her baby brother solely because she made milk glow, how the woman had seemed to fear what she would do the baby to be put into her arms…

Her eyes flickered up to the speakers as the song grew louder, building to a crescendo, calming her, reminding her that Piper was right out there, and no matter if Mary Margaret looked at her like that…she was only one person in the entire family, there were others and even if they all came to gaze at her like that…she doubted Piper, of all people, ever would. And that…that was all the reassurance she needed. If her family hadn't come to fear Piper, had learned to be around her and loved her despite the winces she DID see when she used her power and the panic in her father's eyes whenever the woman pulled her pipe out…they STILL loved Piper, still accepted her, still cared for her and trusted her.

"They love me for who I am, including my powers," she remained firm.

The Snow Queen frowned at that, her gaze turning sympathetic, "I thought that once, too, Emma."

The Snow Queen waited just a single moment more, to see Emma's eyes flick up, over her shoulder, at something in the wall behind her and above her and she knew what it was, she could hear the source of the music even without turning around.

And a smirk came to her face.

~8~

Henry looked up as Mr. Gold stepped into the shop from the back room, smiling at his grandfather. He felt…a little bad, to be doing what he was. He and his mother had launched Operation Mongoose, to help Regina find the author of the storybook, to ask them to write her as a hero now instead of keeping her stuck with the villain title despite all she was doing to really be a hero from now on. They hadn't had any luck just looking at the book, when he'd thought of his grandfather, the Dark One would HAVE to know, wouldn't he? He and Piper seemed relatively happy, yet they were both villains. He wasn't sure if it had to do with Piper being Snow White's cousin and sort of lumped into a 'hero' category by association, that nothing THAT bad could happen to Snow's blood family…though that was a stretch. And then there was his grandfather, the Dark One, but…he was HIS grandfather, and his mother was the savior and maybe that was another connection by blood that gave the Dark One a happy ending too?

His mother, Regina, she had no tie to him by blood, nothing to give her the protection of a hero…that is, if the blood theory was even right. Even HE doubted it, the Dark One and the Pied Piper were villains, had admitted it, lived by it, and didn't seem likely to change any time soon…yet they were happy with each other. No, actually, it was more like they were happy together but they still had to fight everything else to be together. There was a town full of people that hated them, they both lost their sons, they both had enemies and other things going against them, so not quite a happy ending there, but they were at least happy now.

He should ask his grandfather, flat out, ask him for his help, but…it was just…this was his first Operation with his adoptive mother and he wanted it to be their thing just a little longer, something that as JUST theirs, like Operation Cobra had been for him and Emma. If they didn't find something soon, he would tell his grandfather the truth about why he was in the shop (to snoop), but…it was complicated, because he also DID like working there. Gold would tell him stories of his father growing up when there wasn't anyone around, and he liked hearing them. So it was sort of a win-win for him, he got to learn about his father and spend time with his Grandfather (and Piper), while also helping his mother and searching for clues.

"Hi gramps," he smiled, coming over to the small counter of the shop and setting the small broom he'd been using beside him, "I've swept the floor _twice_. Don't you think it's time I learned something a bit more _magical_?"

Gold chuckled at that, "How you are my boy's boy is beyond me," he remarked, "Bae wanted nothing to do with magic, of any kind."

"Well, I DO have some of my mom in me," Henry joked, "And she is the product of true love, she has magic, and YOU have magic, and Aunt P…"

"Yes," Gold nodded, "And, speaking of your 'Aunt P,'" he leaned in, "Today is your lucky day. Because I am gonna give you a potion that possesses the power to take something new and preserve it for years to come."

Henry's eyes widened as he saw Gold pull out a bottle, "What kind of potion is that?"

"Wood polish," he grinned, turning the bottle around to show Henry, "I have…been working on a surprise for Pip. And I would like you to be a part of it."

"Really?" Henry smiled, "Awesome. What is it?"

Gold turned and pulled a small box out of a cabinet, placing it on the counter and opening it to reveal a cushioned lining inside, with a rather beautifully crafted wooden pipe lying within. It was a darker wood, yet it had an intricate swirled pattern around the edges set in a lighter wood, a pattern that looked like a cross between roses with music notes for leaves.

"That's…grandpa, that's amazing," Henry reached out, glancing at Gold for permission to pick it up, "You made this?" he lifted it gently.

"I did."

"I didn't know you could carve…"

"It's…an old hobby of mine," Gold reached out to pluck it from Henry's hands, his finger lightly tracing the length of the pipe, "I can teach you if you'd like."

"Definitely," Henry nodded, smiling, "And it's for Aunt P?"

Gold sighed, "Piper has been…"

"Sad?" Henry supplied, "Yeah, I know. I know she doesn't really show a lot of emotion, but I can tell something's bothering her. And it's something to do with grandma isn't it?"

"How could you possibly…"

"I'm not stupid, Grandpa, I'm not blind either. And Aunt P is important to me. I pay attention to her and she's been acting really weird…distant…from Grandma lately," he eyed Gold a moment, "Do YOU know what's going on? No one will tell me."

Gold let out a breath, "I'm not sure it's my story to tell Henry."

"But it's _Aunt P_ ," Henry urged, "I hate seeing her upset and I just want to help. Did grandma say something to her?"

"Many things were said on both sides," Gold supplied, "And…some hard truths came out that upset Piper greatly."

"So it WAS something grandma said then?" Henry nodded, "I thought so. Grandpa, er, my other grandpa, I heard him talking and he kept trying to reassure grandma that everything was ok and that Aunt P would forgive her, but they didn't say what for," he frowned, seeing Gold silent at his baiting, "And you're not going to tell me either are you?"

Gold looked at Henry a long while, before looking down at the pipe, "Do you trust Piper, Henry?"

"What?" Henry blinked at that, "Of course I do."

"Why?"

"Because she's Aunt P, she's…she's always been there for me, trying to help, believing in me and supporting me. She's helped rescue me and dad and…"

"Do you think she'd ever harm you or your family?"

"No!"

"And why not?"

"Because she loves us. And if that's not enough, which it should be, she's a siren, family is everything to them!"

"What about me, do you trust _me_?"

"Yeah, you're my grandpa, and you love Aunt P."

"And that matters because…"

"Because you wouldn't do anything to hurt her and hurting us would hurt her. So even if you weren't my grandpa, I'd still trust you."

Gold smiled at him, children had the uncanny ability to see the simple truths in life and not complicate things, if only the rest of his family could be the same, "I believe Piper would be very relieved and happy to hear that if you were to say _exactly that_ to her."

Henry frowned a moment, taking time to process what Gold had said and what HE had said to the questions asked, the questions that HAD been asked…

"No," he shook his head, his eyes growing wide, "No…grandma would NEVER say that to Aunt P!"

"Say what?"

"That she doesn't trust her, or…or trust you," Henry elaborated, working it out, working out what Mary Margaret had to have said to Piper, "She wouldn't. She knows that Aunt P loves our family and just wants us safe. Why would she not trust her after everything she's done?"

Gold just gave him a sad look, "Your guess is as good as mine, Henry," he mused, smiling a bit, "You are a very clever boy, working that out."

"Well, my grandfather is the Dark One and my aunt is the Pied Piper, words and cunning run in my blood," Henry smirked, pleased with the praise, though his smirk fell a little, "Grandma REALLY said that she didn't trust Aunt P?"

"I'm afraid she did. It appears she is not quite as…supportive of Pip's relationship with me as she first seemed, though, given recent events…"

"That's no excuse," Henry argued, Gold had been controlled and even then he'd tried everything he could, every trick, to help them defeat Zelena.

"No, it isn't," he agreed.

"Poor Aunt P," Henry murmured, thinking about how hurt Piper had to be for Snow White to say that to her, didn't anyone besides him read the book? Trust was a big part of a Siren's connection to their family, "And you made that," he nodded at the pipe, "To cheer her up?"

"Indeed I did," Gold closed the box.

"Can I have the polish?" he held out his hand for the bottle, "I'd really like to help."

"I'm glad you do Henry," Gold handed the bottle and box to Henry, "Pip will need her family and all the support she can get from its other members right now."

"I know," Henry nodded, "I'm going to give her a big hug the next chance I get."

Gold smiled, watching Henry disappear into the back of the shop to get a small polish brush for the pipe. Though his smile fell instantly when the bells above the shop door jingled. He turned to see David, Hook, Belle, and Elsa rushing in, "Ah, this kind of procession never bodes well."

"The Snow Queen iced over the locks of the Sheriff's Station," David said quickly, "Emma's trapped inside with her."

"There must be a way for you to get us in there," Belle agreed.

"Please," Elsa begged, "Please!"

Gold opened his mouth to answer, when David cut in, "Piper's trapped in there too."

Gold would have rolled his eyes at the man's assumption that he was going to turn down their request, and instead gestured at the doors, "After you."

He stepped out from behind the counter, about to head after them, when Hook moved in his path, "Alright, Crocodile. What's your game? The last two villains that came into town tried to kill you. But you seem rather unconcerned by this one. Makes a man wonder if you two have a history."

"You can wonder all you like, dearie," he glared, "My history my business. Henry!" he called, making Hook step back as Henry peeked into the room, "It seems we have work to do elsewhere."

~8~

The Snow Queen tilted her head as she watched Emma get up and stand before her, needing to be taller, needing to stand over her, and so she smiled, "It's understandable you feel upset…"

"Now you think you know how I feel?" Emma asked, feeling more amused that the woman was trying to guess her feelings than irritated, one thing could be said at least, Piper's music most definitely did as it was meant to.

"I know you better than you know yourself, Emma."

"Yeah, because you took what, a year from my life?" Emma shot her an incredulous look.

"When you lived with me, you talked about your parents all the time. You were so angry with them for giving you up…"

"They had a good reason for that," Emma cut in, "I know that now."

The Snow Queen spread her hands out on the table, curling her fingers into a fist a moment later, just the pointers extended, "It doesn't change the fact that you felt unwanted for _28 years_."

Emma frowned at that, starting to feel…not quite calm any longer, but she could still hear the music playing just…softer, "They didn't have a choice," she defended.

"There is _always_ a choice, Emma. They could have _kept_ you. They could have figured out something else. They could have _tried_."

"They did what they could to save an entire Kingdom!" Emma almost shouted, only the faint tune of the music Piper was playing keeping her from doing so.

"You were their only child. And they used you to break a curse. They're _still_ using your powers."

"That's not true."

"Isn't it?" the Snow Queen scoffed, shaking one of her hands, "How many times have you saved them? How often have you felt more like a 'Savior' than their daughter? And all it takes is one tiny mistake, _one_ accident, and you and your powers go from being their salvation to their worst nightmare."

Emma shook her head, crossing her arms, feeling shifty, feeling…feeling angry and…upset, but…the tune, it was…it was fainter, "You don't know them or me," she tried to remain calm, tried to hold onto the feeling the song had made.

"I don't have to know you, Emma. I've _been_ you, different, misunderstood, alone. And now they've chosen to have a new child. And don't you think that they thank their lucky stars every day that he was born normal?"

"They love me!" she shouted, not even realizing that she couldn't hear Piper's song playing any longer.

"You can't love somebody you don't understand," the Snow Queen pushed, "And do you know what happens when people don't understand something? They learn to fear it. And then they look at it like a monster!"

"Emma!" Piper shouted, bursting through the door, at the same time that Emma screamed, "Shut up!" and slammed her hands onto the table before the Snow Queen…

And the magic raged out of her, blasting the wall to her left, creating a massive hole in the side of the building. She gasped, stumbling back, staring at her hands as they rippled with red energy, "What did you do to me?!"

"Emma!" Piper moved to get to her side, but the Snow Queen threw out her hand, sending Piper back into the wall.

"All I did is show you who you really are," the Snow Queen stood, the manacles falling away from her wrists easily.

Emma glanced between Piper, her eyes racing up to the speaker, a breath leaving her as she saw a thick layer of ice covering it, making her realize why the song had been growing fainter, why she hadn't been able to hear it at the end, the Snow Queen had worked out their plan or something of it and covered the music up.

She winced as the energy ripped over her hand again, "Make it stop!"

"I can't," the Snow Queen smiled at her, "It's you, Emma, and it's beautiful."

Emma could only watch with wide eyes as the woman disappeared in a swirl of snow, "Piper!" she turned to the woman, wanting to reach out and help her up, but not trusting herself to touch her, "Piper, are…"

"Emma?!" she heard David calling from outside.

She glanced at Piper once more, lying on the ground though seeming to be about to stir, and ran out the hole in the wall to call the others to her, to help Piper…when she saw just how much damage her outburst of magic had caused, "What have I done?"

"Emma!" David breathed as he ran up with Snow, Hook, Henry, Belle, Elsa, and Gold, "You alright?"

"We were so worried," Mary Margaret murmured, stepping towards her daughter.

"Wait!" Emma gasped, stepping back.

"Where's Piper?" Gold cut in, seeing Piper, who David claimed was there, nowhere to be seen.

"She's in there," she nodded at the hole, "The Snow Queen blasted her and…"

"I am fine," Piper groaned, managing to climb through the hole, rubbing her back as Gold rushed to her side to help her, "Emma…" she began, but Hook reached them.

"Swan, what did that monster do to the Sheriff's Station?!"

Emma frowned at that, and Piper knew exactly where her mind had gone, "The 'monster' who did this was not the Snow Queen. It was _me_."

"What?" David looked at her shocked.

"It was quite the display of magic," Piper tried to diffuse the situation.

But Emma was too frantic, "Just keep your distance," she warned them, holding up her hands to show them the red rippling over them, "I don't know if I can control myself. I don't want to hurt anyone."

"Swan…" Hook took a step towards her.

"She said to stay back!" Piper snapped at the man who was disregarding Emma's genuine fears and warnings.

"We should heed her words," Gold agreed.

"Emma, we can help," Mary Margaret tried to reason.

"Just stay away!" Emma tried to step back, but Hook reached out to stop her, "Let me go!" she pulled away from him, the red energy shooting out of her hands and striking a streetlamp beside them, causing a small explosion at its base, sending it falling, toppling over…right at Hook, "Watch out!"

David ran forward and pushed Hook out of the way, getting caught by the streetlamp in his place, knocked to the ground with a groan.

"David!" Mary Margaret gasped, rushing to his side to help him up, checking on him as he groaned more, gripping his arm in pain, "Emma!" she snapped at her daughter, a hard look on her face…

Till Emma flinched at the expression.

"Emma…"

"Do NOT speak another word, Snow White!" Piper snapped right back at her, "Emma…" she turned to the woman, but Emma was shaking her head, turning to run, "Emma!"

"Wait!" Mary Margaret tried, "Please come back!"

"Swan!" Hook called.

"Mom!" even Henry tried to stop her, but Emma was already at her yellow bug, revving the engine and speeding off.

Piper was panting as she turned to glare at the so-called heroes (and Hook), "What is _wrong_ with you?!" she demanded, "She _warned_ you! She warned you to keep back, yet you could not be bothered to LISTEN to what would make her comfortable!? She TOLD you she couldn't control it and you look at her as though she harmed the shepherd on purpose?!"

"We didn't mean to…" Mary Margaret teared up, "It was…it was just…"

"What? What was it Snow White? Reaction? Instinct? Shock?" she shook her head, "Emma made a _mistake_ , her emotions conflicted with her control, her FEAR, and the magic could not be contained. It reacted and you look at her as though it was her fault, her desire to cause harm? My god, Snow, if this is how you look upon your own daughter for a genuine accident, I cannot begin to imagine how you would have looked upon me when I _consciously chose_ to use my magic to harm."

Gold gently pulled her back as she took an advancing step towards her cousin. She took a deep breath and looked at him, conveying something to him that the others couldn't decipher, but whatever it was, Gold seemed to understand and nodded, releasing his grip on her shoulders as she turned to stalk off.

"Where are you going?!" David called.

"To find my niece and reassure her that she is NOT the monster you have made her think herself to be!" she nearly snarled at them all.

"Let me come with you," David tried to step after her.

"Try it," Piper challenged, her expression dark and warning, "If she sees you, any of you, she shall run."

"And what makes you think she won't when she sees _you_?" Hook demanded, glaring at her.

"I am already a monster, am I not?" Piper returned his glare times two, also reminding him that his so-called 'redemption' would work against him now, if he wanted Emma to see him as not a monster and not have his own horrible deeds come up, then he couldn't claim NOW that he wasn't one. But she was.

"Rose," Mary Margaret winced.

"She knows I will not look upon her any differently, so leave this _to me_ , or drive your daughter farther away from you."

Gold had to smirk as he watched her spin and carry off, pulling her pipe from her boot to undoubtedly use a tracking tune to find Emma's song and follow it to wherever she might be, to convince her she was not a monster at all…and he knew the exact argument she would use to do it.

Emma…was nothing like Piper.

And while he had no qualms with what Piper was, embracing all of her, every facet, light or dark (and how he did love the dark parts), he knew that a 'hero' like Emma would need to be face to face with the dark, with one who embraced the dark and the title of monster to be forced to see she was nothing like the person before her. And only Piper would be able to do it, as a 'monster,' her word would be the only one Emma would believe.

Though, the fact that Piper would have to use that argument, go that route, that she would have to reveal more of herself than she felt ready to do so, to bring Emma back, it set him on edge.

Perhaps he should have a little _chat_ with the Snow Queen, this time…she had gone too far.

~8~

Gold glanced up from where he was standing at the counter of his shop, his eyes narrowing as he saw who had entered, the Snow Queen of all people, "As someone who's created many monsters in his time, I am impressed by the number you did on Ms. Swan. Though," he moved to step around the counter, "If I were you, I would NOT have selected her to target."

"Oh?" the woman tilted her head, "And why so?"

"I already warned you, dearie, I will NOT allow you to harm any I care for, and Ms. Swan happens to fall under that category."

"Because of your precious Piper?" the Snow Queen smirked at how his expression darkened, "Oh don't look so surprised Dark One, I WAS in this town among you all. I have eyes. I have ears, I could see you walking the town, heard the whispers of how the Dark One had found his true love," she sighed mockingly, "How sweet."

"I would wipe that smirk off your face, dearie," he glared, "The only reason you're still alive right now is that Piper is with Emma, and she will counter anything you hoped to accomplish with her niece."

"Oh, I know she will," the Snow Queen nodded, "I'm hoping she will. I need her to, really. Though, for the time being, it will prove a distraction for Emma, because, you see," she stepped closer, "I'm ready to make that deal."

"So you finally understand what you didn't so many years ago," he taunted.

"I want my ribbons back."

He turned, reaching onto the counter to a small wooden box, similar to the one he'd made to hold Piper's new pipe, and opened it, revealing three small yellow ribbons, ones he had acquired from the woman…oh years ago, when she had come crawling to him for a way to control her ice powers. Much like Elsa, she used her sisters' love for her as a way to hold the power at bay, but it wasn't enough to ease her fears. He had traded her blue gloves that would contain her power and a magic urn that would trap her, as a failsafe, for the ribbons she and her sisters wore around their wrists as a symbol of their familial love.

"Then you'll also understand that a…a deal requires an exchange of goods. And I'm no longer convinced you have anything I want," he snapped the box shut, making her glare at him.

"You still need one more thing to cleave yourself from that dagger," the woman stated.

His lips pursed at that as he tensed, "And how do you know about that?"

"I had that hat longer than you," she smirked, stepping closer, speaking softly, "I learned many things. Among them…the missing piece of your puzzle. Give me my ribbon," her eyes drifted to the box before snapping back to him, "I'll tell you what it is. You see, I've figured out your plan."

"Have you?" he baited.

She nodded, "Storybrooke is a small town. Too small for someone as powerful as the Dark One to be content."

"Well, they did close down that ice-cream parlor I was so fond of," he muttered, inwardly keeping his smirk from showing on his face.

Oh how wrong the woman was.

But whatever advantage she thought she had over him…it seemed her assumptions would work to his advantage.

"You want to cleave yourself from the dagger so you can venture outside Storybrooke without losing your power or those close to you," she eyed him, "You want, in short, what all villains want."

"And what's that?"

"Everything," she sighed, her gaze flickering to the box once more, "And I want to give it to you," before returning to his face.

He scoffed, as though she could give him everything, she wasn't Piper, so it was impossible, "What makes you so generous?"

"What you want is out there," she gestured to a globe sitting off to the side, "And everything that I want is in _here_. Do what you want with the rest of the world. Storybrooke will be mine," she eyed him, "Now…do you want your answer?"

"You know I do," he muttered.

"Then we have a deal," she smiled.

He stepped back as she reached for the box in his hands, "You first," he warned, " _Tell me_ what I require," the Snow Queen did not seem pleased by his demand but she gave a small nod and leaned in, whispering in his ear exactly what he would need to truly free himself from the hat, and pulled away, "Not only can I do that," he grinned, "But I shall do it with great pleasure."

And, with that, he held the box out to her, watching as the Snow Queen took it with a gentle hand, giving him one final nod before she disappeared in a swirl of snow.

He couldn't help the grin that came to his face as the snow cleared, the Snow Queen had fallen right into his trap, a trap, he was quite sure, Piper would be VERY pleased to learn about.

~8~

Emma sat, alone, in her yellow bug at an overlook high above Storybrooke, just looking sadly down at the town lights, tears in her eyes, a fear in them as well, a fear for what she was, what she really was, what sort of dangerous, dark monster she had to be for...

Her thoughts were cut off when the passenger door opened and another blonde woman entered, older than her, a pipe being stuck into her boot as the woman closed the door.

Emma froze, completely tense about what would happen...when the woman turned to her.

"Emma," was all Piper said as she looked at her softly, an understanding and empathy in her eyes that startled Emma after everything she'd seen and done and been told today, after the looks she'd seen in the eyes and faces of those closest to her just outside the station.

It was enough to bring more tears to her eyes.

But what caused them to fall wasn't any of that...it was Piper's next actions.

The woman reached across, and took her hand, just holding it as she turned to look out at Storybrooke, not saying another word, not forcing her to talk or giving her any reassurances she wasn't ready to hear just yet, merely...sitting there with her, and holding her hand, one of the hands that had caused such destruction in the town only hours ago.

It was that silent display of trust, the acceptance in Piper's eyes, the action of not letting her be alone speaking more words than could be said in that moment, that had her squeezing her aunt's hand back tightly and turning to look out at Storybrooke once more.

A/N: I sort of feel bad for Piper in this, with her discussion with Elsa and Emma's remarks about not having magic till she was an adult. Looking at it in a general context of the three women and even Regina, Piper is really the only one that grew up with her magic out in the open. Regina didn't start learning till she was about 18ish based on the show, Emma till she broke the curse, Elsa had them as a child but the only ones that knew were her parents till she was queen. Piper was the only one that was forced to be around other children that ALL knew what she was and what she could do. In a way, if anyone ever needed someone to relate to in being mistrusted and rejected and misunderstood, it would be Piper to turn to. Elsa was isolated and it was terrible to do to her, but it was actually much better a situation than Piper where every single day she was exposed to the judging eyes of the people around her, the whispers, and the way everyone treated her even though she was a princess :( Poor Piper :(

That'll...actually be very important in the next Storybrooke Chapter, right now Emma's not alone, but she's still going to be freaking out about what she did. Some darker moments for Piper might come out to help Emma realize SHE is not the monster of the pair of them }:)

I really wanted to have a moment of understanding between Elsa and Piper. It annoyed me just a little that almost every other line out of Elsa's mouth was 'I have to find Anna!' and I fully understand it's her sister and she's missing and they don't know what happened to her, but there's many more other things going on at the moment and I wanted someone to be like 'you're not the only one who lost family or was searching for them' to Elsa, to make it more a mutual understanding moment :) And the part with Emma and Piper, I couldn't see Piper going with Emma when she knew Snow would be there, but I also couldn't see her not noticing something was bothering Emma just after it and wanting to help.

Some notes on reviews...

We'll have to wait and see if Gold will experience the same loss in this story to see if that'll be the same reason his heart started to affect him or not ;) I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter :)

Oh we'll definitely get a meet the parents for Ilayda and Ethan, or at last meeting Ethan's parents ;)

I don't think it's bad that they remind you of Merlin and Morgana :) We'll actually see a father/daughter bonding moment between Piper and Ethan later that will touch on fears of ruling and strength to do it ;) I think a part of it was that he knew he could go to another siren, but after Ilayda turned him down he wanted it to be her, he was sort of intrigued and drawn to her even then but didn't realize it and wouldn't realize it till much later, that he COULD find another siren or magical creature to end him, but something kept bringing him back to her ;) I'm glad you felt the lack of consideration for Sirens, I wanted to sort of show the deep prejudice against them, that they're considered so far below humans in that regard, to sort of hint at what Piper went through in being half around humans :( I don't think Piper could harm them after she lured children away, at most I could see her putting them to sleep if it was going to be a long wait, but I don't see her ever harming them. And, unlike Snow, she always returned them ;) It'll depend when and how it goes dark and where each of them are when it happens for if it would affect Piper ;)


	14. Darkening

Darkening

Rose Red sat in the music room of her castle, a small fiddle in her hands as she played a calming tune on it, her eyes closed, her fingers working the strings without needing to see them, the bow gliding easily in her hands. She didn't have to be there, in the music room, not now, not this day, her mother had excused her from lessons, but she was on edge, excited, and needed something to distract her and her parents were busy seeing to the other servants to make sure that the castle was prepared and ready for their new arrivals. Well, not NEW arrivals, Snow White and her father had visited them numerous times and she them, but they were coming and she was…anticipating it. She was excited to see her cousin again. It had been six months so far, the longest she had ever gone without seeing her cousin and she…missed her. She missed her terribly.

It could be quite lonely in a castle where you were the only child.

No, that wasn't quite true, it didn't have to be lonely. She had observed Snow throughout her time staying with her and her uncle Leopold, she had seen how Snow was surrounded by so many people, both children of the servants or the knights or other lords, or even the village children. So many flocked to her, wanting to be around her and not just because she was the princess, but because she was just…so kind and pure and generous, she had a goodness in her that attracted others to her.

It was not so for herself. She didn't mind it so much, she preferred being left to her own devices more often than having to endure the endless and mindless chatter of others around her. They cared not for what she might say or think, why should she return the care. No, she knew why, she was the princess, she would one day be their queen and she needed to be able to relate to her people, she needed to be able to care about them, care about someone other than her cousin, parents, and uncle…which was really all she did at the moment.

The village children, the children of the other nobles didn't make it easy to care either. As little as she desired to be around them, THEY were even less so in regards to her. She had a suspicion, a small one, about exactly WHY she was the only child her parents had had. Her mother was still youthful, her father had been the younger of the two brothers, had had plenty of time and opportunity to conceive another child, a second heir, perhaps even a male heir…yet no heir came. She didn't think it was her parents, from what her mother had mentioned to her when she talked with her over what it meant to be a woman and later a wife, she had been conceived fairly quickly after the marriage, likely within the first few nights after. Her father was still smug about that.

Well, she supposed she had two suspicions. The first, less likely, though probable, was that her father had been waiting for his brother to produce another heir. Snow's birth had been hard on Eva, and no heir had come after that. There had been talk that it had fallen upon Eva as the reason why Snow and Snow alone had been born. But, later, after her uncle Leopold had wed again, to a younger, healthy woman, and STILL no heir had come…well, by then her uncle had been quite old so they really couldn't tell on whose side the blame lay. It was entirely possible that her father hadn't wanted to produce more children while his brother had but one and too precautions against it. She doubted her uncle Leopold would have been agreeable or tolerant of that though, the second he found out (and he would have found out), he would have demanded his brother produce him more nieces and nephews to spoil.

Which made the second suspicion more likely though harder to believe. That the people had pressured her father not to have a second child. It was harder to believe in the sense that no one should have so much power as to pressure their lord and king to do something that could very well jeopardize his kingdom if his child died. But…there WAS a danger in ignoring one's people, in purposefully disregarding their fears, they could rise up, revolt, do something that could truly damage the kingdom. Give the iron fist her father used with maintaining the laws, she doubted it would have happened, but then again, that was the father she had NOW, she couldn't begin to identify what he might have bene like nearer the start of his reign or after his marriage.

Still, it was a likely reason why no other siblings had come. The people…she didn't want to say they despised her, she was their princess and they would have to respect her as Queen. They adored her father, they felt safe under his rule, their queen though…she knew people were not comfortable around her or with her ruling them. But they kept silent for the most part, the kingdom had thrived with her father on the throne and had continued to do so despite his choice of queen or the product of their marriage. The people had nothing to complain of and no reason to do anything unless she actually made a ruling decision that put them all in jeopardy or doomed the kingdom, and her father was still king and would be one for many years to come. She could, however, imagine the people not wanting to risk another child from her mother. She knew, had heard whispers, of other people about her. They called her demon spawn when they thought she couldn't hear, they knew and sensed something off about her. She could only imagine what they'd think of a male heir, where women were naturally thought to be more delicate and gentle, imaging a male siren to be their king might have been exactly what would get the people talking about not wanting to risk one happening.

From what her mother said…there was quite a distinction between male and female sirens. If the people thought SHE was off or cold or distant…it was nothing compared to the males. The females were…playful in comparison, they enjoyed luring prey to them, taunting and tempting men and women alike to their dooms, it was a game to them, sport even. They could be seductive and charming, protective of their families, truly a threat, a dangerous, dark threat when their clan was in danger. But the men? Ooh the men. They were more savage in their kills, they didn't lure, they attacked. They didn't play with their kills, but got the deed done, used force. They were cold and distant to every one else save just their mate and offspring, and even then it was in a muted, subtle way, through their song and touches. And if their mate or child was in danger…run. The men operated more on instinct, on a primal instinct to protect what was theirs. They would attack and viciously, almost in a frenzy if their mate or child was harmed, they would tear apart the offender limb from limb while they were alive to feel it, sometimes to the point where their own mate wouldn't recognize what they turned into in the attack.

Truly, the kingdom would likely be right to worry, in their minds at least.

She would have loved a brother.

But her cousin, her sister, was enough for her. She could not miss what she had never had after all.

She looked up, her playing cutting off suddenly as a loud knock sounded on the door. She slowly lowered the fiddle, placing it on her lap as the door opened just after, the servant that was pushing it open, keeping their head bowed, eyes on the floor, seeming very pale and nervous to have interrupted…she must be new.

"Begging your pardon ma'am," the girl curtsied, half in the crack of the door, as though she could run if need be, "You asked to be informed when the Princess had arrived."

"I did," Rose nodded, standing regally, in a fluid motion and turning to place the fiddle on a small table off to the side, walking to it almost as though she were gliding, all too aware that the young maid was watching her with wide eyes.

She had noticed a…change in herself as the years went by, as she took lessons with her mother not just on how to be a queen but equally what a Siren was meant to be. She was more…graceful. Her mother had taught her how to walk on water, with enormous concentration that she couldn't hold for more than ten steps at most, but after learning to walk on something as shifting and changing as water…the hard ground hardly seemed a challenge. It had carried into a gliding motion, she hardly rocked back and forth as she walked, her body almost not moving as she moved, her steps rolling one into the other like waves.

It was very disconcerting to others around her.

And so she enjoyed employing that method of walking enormously.

She made her way to the door, the girl still watching her and tilted her head, "Was there another matter?"

"No!" the girl's eyes widened, "No, no ma'am," she curtsied again, and turned to hurry off, leaving Rose watching her go a moment, her expression neutral at the slight fear and tremor in the girl's voice. Yes, most certainly new.

She shook her head at that and turned to make her way down to the main hall.

"Sigmund," she called, seeing one of the older servants hurrying to direct the others as she reached them, coming down the staircase to the main hall so silently that Sigmund jumped.

"Princess!" he gasped, spinning to face her, bowing quickly, "How may I assist you?"

"Snow has arrived?" she inquired, tilting her head only slightly to the side.

"Yes, my lady."

"Have the King and Queen been notified?"

"Yes, my lady."

"Then where are they?" she could see the servants around them, hesitating a moment before quickly making their way through their tasks. Honestly, her tone hadn't been that hard, had it?

"They are finishing the last of the organizing for the visiting King's rooms," he bowed slightly as Rose nodded.

Yes, only her uncle Leopold was coming to the castle, not his new wife Regina.

"Very well, I shall greet them," she informed him, heading for the doorway, "Many thanks, Sigmund."

"Thank you, princess," he bowed once more, backing away to let her past, one of the other servants rushing to open the door for her.

Rose sighed as she stepped through the door, blinking a bit at the bright sun in the sky before her gaze was pulled to the bottom of the stairs where servants were rushing to clear the way for the carriage that was approaching. She stepped down a few steps to a second landing and waited, her hands before her, keeping her back straight, her chin up as her mother had shown her was proper posture so long ago, something that had stuck. She felt her lips curl into a smile as the carriage drew up and, before the servants could even reach for the door, it flew open, a blur of white and black rushing up the stairs towards her.

"Snow!" she cheered, feeling her smile grow wider as she hurried down the last few steps to meet her cousin halfway, Snow White nearly barreling into her in a tight hug that almost got lost in her long white cloak.

"Rosie!" Snow White beamed, hugging her cousin so tightly that, in her swaying excitement, she nearly toppled them both over to the side, "I've missed you!"

"And I you," Rose pulled away to look at her cousin, "It has been far too long."

"I know!" Snow giggled, letting go of her cousin only to take her hands in her own, "We must convince our fathers that 3 months is as long as we shall ever go without meeting."

"My thoughts exactly," she squeezed Snow's hands, looking over her shoulder at the elder man approaching them, "Uncle Leopold," she gave a small, minute curtsy to him.

"Oh none of that, none of that my dear," he laughed, reaching out to pull her into a hug, "My how you've grown," he assessed her as he stepped back, taking her in, his expression soft as he observed her fitted, yet modest deep red dress that appeared to have roses embroidered on the hems with black thread, shaking his head at that, "Is my brother still dressing you in reds, Rose?" he teased, Snow having told him about her irritation with her name and even Snow's.

"As you dress Snow in the palest of whites," she returned the remark, making Snow roll her eyes.

"I happen to like white," Snow defended, looking at her white dress and gloves, "It's pristine, pure, unblemished…"

"Easily dirtied," Leopold murmured under his breath, before reaching out to take Snow's cloak from her, turning it so she could see a faint stain of her bum on the bottom from where she'd been fidgeting in her seat the last half of the trek and gotten the fine fibers of their carriage cushion stuck to her cloak.

Snow blushed rose red this time.

Leopold laughed at that and looked at Rose, "I must ask where my wayard brother is!

"Not quite so wayward, brother!" her father's voice called behind her as he approached the stairs with her mother, "Leopold, you old dog," he made his way down to hug his brother.

"Snow White," her mother greeted, nearly floating down to her other side, reaching out to take Snow's hand, "You look lovelier every day," she remarked, "As beautiful as your mother."

"Thank you," Snow smiled at that, tears in her eyes that she always got when she was compared to her beloved mother.

"Rose," her father spoke, "Why don't you and Snow go for a stroll?" he suggested, "I'm sure she would enjoy stretching her legs after such a long ride and you must have quite a bit to catch up on."

Rose nodded, looking to Snow for confirmation, "Ooh let's!" Snow beamed, reaching out to take her cousin's arm, "I have quite a lot to tell you too!"

Rose glanced at her father, "We shall make for the village, for the market, before returning back," she informed him.

"Take your time," he smiled at her, "Enjoy yourself," she could see him open his mouth to add more before he closed it, clapping his brother on the shoulder before turning to lead him and her mother into the castle.

She knew what he was going to say even if he hadn't said it. He thought she hadn't really enjoyed herself much the last few months that she had kept mostly to herself. She would be willing to say she enjoyed them much more than she would have if she had been forced to spend time around the other children her age. She hadn't wanted to, had come up with excuse after excuse not to go out of the castle or be around the market or other places those her age went. Equally the others hadn't tried to seek her out and if they saw her, they often went in the other direction, leaving her to her own devices as she wished.

But now she had her cousin and that was enough to brighten her mood exponentially, "Come," she smiled at Snow, turning to lead her towards the village.

~8~

The catching up took quite a while, if Rose had to describe it, though it was mostly on Snow to fill in what had happened in the last few months and Snow had QUITE a few stories to share with her, tales and talk of her step mother, of her father, of her servants subjects, of her lessons on ruling, even on a small party she was planning for her father in just a short month for his birthday. There was so much Snow had to share that it had taken their entire walk to the village, and their third stroll around the market for her to finally take a breath.

Rose had smiled along with the tales, listening intently, trying to keep Snow talking actually, not wanting her to hear some of the whispers that rose up whenever this happened, whenever people saw her and Snow together talking amicably. She heard them though, her hearing a little better than a human's thanks to her mother. She could hear them remarking on Snow, wondering how such a sweet girl could stand to be so close to a 'thing' like her, how she could bear to link arms with her and talk to her. She heard people wonder if there was something wrong with Snow, if, perhaps, she wasn't as pure as she wanted others to think, not as innocent or warm. And the whispers about herself, she could hear them wondering why she was smiling, commenting on how unnatural it was for her to do.

There was no winning with the villagers, she had resigned herself to that a long time ago. If she stayed away from them, as they seemed to want, for her to rule them from the castle and not interact, then they called her cold and distant and hard. If she tried to be there, to have a presence, to even smile, they wondered if she was plotting something, why she was around them, what she was going to do. If she held no expression, she was emotionless. If she smiled, she was unnatural. If she stared at someone that made a joke, she was stoic, if she laughed, she had to be forcing it.

She didn't want Snow to hear them, because she knew her cousin would fly off the handle about it, demanding what was wrong with those people to treat her the way they did…and as amusing as that would be, she didn't want her cousin to incur their ire either. And, really, what other way could they treat her? Accept her warmly despite not being comfortable with her or her mother? She wasn't around the people enough for them to know her as well as Snow did, she didn't trust them enough to let her guard down as she did around her cousin. They didn't know her, and so they could only react to her from what they saw and knew. Not everyone had as much faith that everyone was an inherently good person as Snow did.

Unfortunately, despite how long Snow had spoken for, it hadn't been long enough to complete their last trek around the market and start to head back to the castle. Snow had tapered off just as they were turning towards the main gates that would lead back to the castle.

"So tell me," Snow smiled, "What has happened with you Rose? Have you learned any new instruments? Written any new songs? Found someone to inspire such songs?" she teased, nudging her cousin on that last one.

"No," Rose smiled at that, "I fear not, on all counts. I have merely been…practicing my instruments and songs."

"And a boy…"

"Does not exist," Rose cut in, "I am sorry Snow, but I do not subscribe to your belief that everyone has a true love out there. It is a rare thing to find one."

"Well I think you'll find one," Snow remarked as they stepped out of the gate.

Rose shook her head, "I believe it far more likely that you should find love of such legendary proportions, Snow, not I."

"If I get a true love, then you do to," Snow said firmly, "It's as simple as that. You are my cousin, Rose, we already swore we'd do everything together, remember?" she squeezed Rose's arm, "If we are to have children and raise them as close as we are, we shall need men to help us create those perfect children. And for that to happen…we need to find you your true love."

"You really think SHE's got one out there?" a voice said behind them.

They paused and turned to look over their shoulders at one of the village boys, a year or two older than they were, sitting on a barrel in an alley they'd passed, a piece of wood in his hand, a knife in hand as he whittled it.

"Yes," Snow stuck her nose up, "I do."

The boy snorted, "Only love she's gonna find is a vile creature."

"How dare you!" Snow pulled her arm out of Rose's hold despite her cousin trying to keep a grip on her and stormed over to the boy, who merely smirked at her, "How dare you say such things?!"

"Only saying what everyone thinks," he shrugged, "She ain't ever gonna find true love 'cept with a monster as dark as she is."

Rose's eyes narrowed at that.

"You, on the other hand," the man eyed Snow up and down, "You…I bet scores of 'true loves' will flock to you, Princess. And I'll be the first in line."

"I would never accept a man like you as my true love," Snow defended, "Rose is my family and you've insulted her! Why would I ever want someone like you?"

"So you can have a new family?" the man shook his head, "So you can get away from that one," he poked his knife forward, at Rose, not threatening, but…there was an edge to his voice that made her hands curl into fists.

She couldn't react though, she couldn't, she had promised her parents she would be better, that she would control it, that she wouldn't do it again…but this man…he was insinuating such terrible things, he was trying to antagonize Snow, and she would NOT let him hurt her.

But…she'd promised her parents…

The man either was oblivious of her internal struggle, or all too aware and felt secure in continuing, "So you don't gotta call HER your family and sully your own name by tying hers to yours…"

"Snow!" Rose shouted when Snow struck out and slapped the man across the face.

It was a blur after that, it truly was, for all parties involved.

One second the man was rearing back from being struck, the next he'd grabbed Snow and shoved her against the wall of the alley, his whittling knife at her throat, a glare on his face...and the next…he was on the ground, his back arching, veins bulging in his neck as his eyes rolled back into his head, his body tensing and seizing, a scream caught in his open mouth with blood starting to drip out of his ears…and Rose juts a foot away, her mouth open, a deadly glare on her face directed at the man on the ground.

"Rose!" Snow gasped, rushing to her cousin's side, wincing and trying to keep her hands over her ears even as Rose's voice echoed in her ears, "Rose stop it!"

But Rose was either deaf to her words or ignoring them as she stepped closer to the man, the note that was ringing out of her getting louder as she drew nearer, the man starting to gasp for air.

"Rosie!" Snow tried to get near her, only to fall to her knees as it got louder, "Don't!"

Rose let the note die, cut off from continuing, more from catching sight of Snow on her knees out of the corner of her eyes than the fact that the man before her was nearing death. The man collapsed back onto the ground, panting, his head lulling but fighting for consciousness.

Rose panted a moment, glancing between Snow and the man, when she saw a small trickle of blood on Snow's neck and turned, stalking to the man and crouching down, smirking at how he tried to flinch away and scuttle back but his body was too spent and agonized to do it.

"You breathe a word of this to anyone," she threatened, her voice low, nearly hissing at him, "And not even my cousin will save you next time," she eyed him, "Understood?"

He managed a single nod, unable to do much other, but it wasn't that that reassured her he would be silent about what she'd done…it was the fear in his eyes as he stared at her.

She stood, looking down her nose at him before she turned on her heel, her skirts in a flourish, and made her way back to her cousin. She leaned down, helping Snow to her feet and guided her out of the alley, though she couldn't help the thumping of her heart as she headed for the castle.

Snow was completely silent.

And that never happened unless she was deeply upset.

And she knew…SHE had caused it.

~8~

Rose intently focused on the small cloth she was using to dab at Snow's neck, making sure the scratch she'd gotten was clean and would heal properly. She had just turned to dip the cloth in a small bowl of water and dab more, even though it was truly cleaned by now, when Snow reached up and gently grabbed her hand, lowering it to hold it in both of hers resting on her lap.

"Rose…" she began, looking at her cousin in concern, "What was that?"

It had been…shocking, to see her cousin as she'd been, her expression so raging, her eyes so deadly and focused, the girl so intent to take the man down. She had noticed something was…different about her cousin, the moment she'd spotted her from the carriage, standing on the stairs of the castle, too rigid, too poised, too…cold. She had looked more like an unmovable, unfeeling statue than her smiling cousin. She knew she'd had to take that distant feeling off her and had run to hug the daylights out of her. Rose had seemed to snap out of it then, smiling and hugging her back, looking just like the cousin she knew.

But in the market?

She hadn't expected that reaction though…she DID know it was a possible one given what she'd seen and heard of her aunt whenever her uncle or Rose was in danger. Still, to see it happen? It had startled her and…it scared her just a little. No, not scared her in the sense that she feared for herself if Rose should lose control or turn on her, it wasn't that. Because Rose had done that to protect her, she had full control of her magic or at least a great deal more than when they had been children, she would never turn on her for no reason. She wasn't afraid for herself…but for Rose.

If that had happened IN the market, if other saw? She could only imagine their reactions to it. She honestly wasn't even sure what her own reaction was, she was fairly certain she was still in shock from seeing her cousin turn into…whatever she'd been only moments ago.

"He was harming you," Rose said simply, "So I stopped him."

Snow frowned at that, the way she'd said it, so blandly, so unconcerned…it was jarring. Rose sounded like she truly didn't care the harm and pain she'd caused the man so long as he'd been stopped. She swallowed hard at that, the worst thing, to her, was for someone not to care about another, no matter who they were, "Did you have to do it like that though? With your magic?"

Rose looked at her a moment, "I will do whatever I must to keep you safe Snow."

Snow let out a gentle breath at that, "But they are your people, you can't attack them or they'll turn on you."

"He shall not dare speak of what occurred," Rose said, "Snow," she knelt down before her, "He shall never harm you again either."

"I don't think he intended to in the first place," Snow remarked, "I slapped him first, Rose, it was his right to defend himself against that, no matter if I'm a princess or not. I shouldn't have hit him first."

"He should not have drawn blood in payment for a mere slap," Rose defended.

"I don't think he realized he had," Snow tried again, trying to get through to her, to make her see that she may have reacted FAR too strongly and powerfully to something so small as a scratch, "It happened so fast Rose, we couldn't even see what his reaction to it might have been. For all we know he would have been horrified and begged forgiveness."

"Or he would have tried to harm you further," Rose shook her head, "Not all people are as good as you believe them to be Snow."

And that was just it, her cousin saw the best in people. She had been around those villagers enough to know that not all of them were kind or good people. Snow was so…innocent like that, wanting to see the good in the world, to ignore the darkness in it. But SHE saw it, and if her cousin couldn't or wouldn't, SHE would just have to be there to protect her from it.

"I still think we should have given him the chance to realize what he'd done and apologize," Snow sighed.

"To do a deed like that, Snow, to harm another person as he had. It does not ever stop with one person. He would have done it again, to others, I am certain."

"Well, I'm not."

"As you wish," Rose shrugged, "You may think the best in him, that it was a mere accident that he harmed you, but I disagree. He harmed you and for that a punishment was dealt. Forgive him all you like for imagined apologies, but I will not, nor shall I ever," she sighed, seeming to realize how she was starting to sound by the small frown on Snow's face, and squeezed her hand, "But know that whatever the two of us feel or think of his guilt, he shall never harm you again. I will never let anyone harm you Snow."

And Snow realized she was trying to reassure her. She shifted a bit, this entire situation was making her terribly uncomfortable. Rose…she truly didn't care about that man, just because he'd harmed her. She knew that the other villagers whispered about her cousin, she heard some of it here and there, was sure there was much more she missed, would she begin to not care about them because of that? Would she start to not care about other people just because they'd harmed her? What if they didn't mean it? What if they had been driven to it or manipulated or…

She shook her head at that, she knew how Sirens reacted when their loved ones were in danger or threatened. It was a natural reaction, Rose couldn't have helped it. But to not care afterwards? She had seen it in her aunt once or twice before, how little she cared for what she'd done so long as her family was safe after. She supposed she'd hoped that Rose would be a bit more…human, like her uncle in that she might feel a tad guilty, or try to forgive. To be so unfeeling…

She took a breath, making a vow to herself right then and there, she would just have to care and forgive enough for the both of them. Perhaps if Rose saw HER forgiving others and letting go of past hurts, she would have no reason not to do the same. Yes, that sat much better with her. If Rose would not forgive others, SHE would. She would show her cousin that people could change, do better, BE better, if they were just given the chance to do it.

"Now," Rose's voice cut in, "Shall we retire to dinner?"

Snow shook her head at that, at how Rose had just turned the conversation away from a very serious discussion to talk of dinner, as though what had happened hadn't even affected her...which, she supposed, they hadn't.

If they'd been children, her cousin would have been crying for the fact that she'd harmed someone with her magic, fretting and fearful that it was turning her into something dark or evil. She would have reassured her, of course, that it wasn't so, that it had been an accident and she hadn't meant it. But now...now her cousin was standing before her, nearly an adult, not even shedding a single tear, her expression holding no remorse or fear or concern for what she'd done at all. She was older now, she was...she wasn't the child she had been. Of course she would change, mature, understand her magic more. This time her cousin couldn't regret her actions, because she had chosen to do them, in full control of her magic, she'd made the choice to attack the man. She was sure, at first, it was instinct to get him to stop...but she could have released him earlier and she hadn't, she'd chosen to continue.

She could tell, what her cousin had feared as a child was starting to happen, she was...darkening, just a little, just a little. She still saw her cousin before her, she still saw her baby cousin, she doubted she would ever see her as anything but. She certainly would NEVER see her as a monster as Rose had feared so many years ago. Her cousin was half-Siren, she would always be different, she would always be a little darker than others, it would be obvious the older she grew and more she understood about her magic and what she was. She would never condemn her for something she had no say in or control over being, it was who she was.

All she could do was be there for her, help to try and balance her...be the light to her dark. And she would, because family never turned their backs on each other.

"I am a bit hungry," Snow offered tentatively, standing and following her cousin out of the room.

No, she would never turn her back on her cousin.

~8~

King Leopold let out a long breath as he looked at his brother and sister-in-law, the three of them having been informed by one of the guards that had been sent after the princesses to ensure their safety, a recounting of the events that had happened in the market, what his niece had done. In defense of her cousin, of course but…the damage, the agony, that the guard had described her as inflicting so coldly and intensely upon the man…it was alarming.

"Ethan…" Leopold turned to his brother as the man excused the guard, "I know it is not my place," he began, "And you know that I love and adore Rose as much as any other…but have you considered that...that her magic…"

"Might be dangerous?" Ethan finished, "Of course I did. I knew, the moment I took Ilayda as my wife," he looked at the woman in question, sitting primly and quietly beside him, taking her hand, "That our children may inherit her magic. We took precautions."

"I taught her the ways of the Siren," Ilayda explained, "I am teaching her to control her music…"

"I think that might be the problem though," Leopold argued, "What she did in the market…it was controlled, Ethan," he looked as his brother, "She _chose_ to do that, to use her magic like that."

"That man was threatening YOUR daughter," Ethan defended.

"And I am forever grateful she stopped him, I am," Leopold nodded, "But the manner it was done in," he shook his head, "Ethan, to be able to do that, with just her voice? It is a truly…" he sighed, "It is a dark magic she possesses."

"And I am a dark creature," Ilayda eyed him, "I know not what you mean to imply. I am dark, my magic is dark. Rose is my daughter, her magic would be dark. Why do you sound surprised of this?"

"I'm not I just…" he shook his head, "Is it wise to allow her the freedom to use it in such a manner?"

"What else would you have us do, Leopold?" Ethan squeezed his wife's hand, "Banish her? Forbid her from using that which makes her special? I will not condemn my daughter to hide her magic as though it makes her evil or a monster."

Leopold nodded, considering his words, "Have you considered…finding some way to remove her magic if it's possible?"

Ethan and Ilayda fell quiet at that, glancing at each other a long while before Ethan sighed and bowed his head a moment, his eyes closed as though is next words physically pained him to admit, "We did…and we tried to, once, a long time ago," he looked up at his brother, his eyes so haunted by the memory of it that Leopold couldn't bring himself to ask what happened.

All Ethan could muster, was a deeply regretful and guiltridden, "We tried to take her magic from her once before...and it nearly killed her."

A/N: Ooh...I can say what Ethan is speaking of...it was not good, at all :'( But...we WILL see a flashback chapter about exactly what happened one day }:)

I wanted to sort of show how times change us, how situations and life changes our views and reactions. Here, Snow sees her cousin consciously and purposefully using her magic to harm someone, with the full intent to cause them pain, and she tries to understand and reassure Rose that it doesn't make her a monster, she's young, she's not experienced anything with the Evil Queen yet. In the last chapter, Snow sees her daughter unconsciously and accidently use her magic and have it cause harm to someone, not meaning to or wanting to and trying NOT to...and she reacts with outrage and almost horror at what Emma did. She's also starting to express more and more outrage and horror at some things she's learned that the Pied Piper has done, she's really struggling to balance who her cousin was and who she is now, and reconcile her views of darkness and evilness.

I feel like Snow will say something so much she'll try to believe it. Like the secret she harbors in the second half of the season, telling herself over and over that it was for the greater good and not an evil thing to do, till she believes it. Here, I feel like Snow sees her cousin turning into this darkened person and she's trying to convince herself as much as Rose that she will always love her and trust her and see her as her cousin no matter what. She wants to believe if, to believe Piper won't ever do something that she can't look past or reason away. And as she's growing older, she's starting to see that she may say it and try to believe it, but there will be challenges coming that will really force her to confront whether she actually CAN do what she's said so much in the past :(

Some notes on reviews...

Oh I know exactly who Maid Marian is ;) I don't post a story till after a season's over to make sure I'm not writing myself into a corner with certain twists I'd like to do ;) I actually mention it in the first chapter, as an A/N that there's something keeping Piper from realizing who Marian really is, but we won't find out what till later ;)

I never really understood the Snow Queen's plot either, it was so weird but I think it might have been the writers I blame for that. Like they build up the Shattered Sight curse to be this epic thing, the town will tear itself apart, people will kill each other, just so that the only three left are the Snow Queen, Emma, and Elsa...and then no one dies. At all. I feel like it would have been more threatening if a few people HAD died, it would have had more of an impact. Having it end as it did just made the entire Snow Queen plot feel a bit pointless to me :( Which is probably a little evil to say that I wanted a few characters to have died off screen, but that was the point of the mirror :/ I can say that the Author won't be messing with Piper's memories so she will be affected by the rewrite, he sort of struck me as having actually rewritten an entire new story so there wouldn't be any memories to erase if that's how it was 'in the beginning' ;) But I can't say what Piper's happy ending might be just yet ;) Regina's a bit absent as this story follows more Piper's POV, and Piper's more around Gold and Emma than Regina at the moment, but Regina will feature more in the next half yup ;) I actually took Emma's actions in the finale to be more a sort of guilt thing than romantic, but it was just my interpretation. If felt like a majority of Season 4 was Emma screwing over Regina's happiness like Snow did, and then, when she joins the operation, actually realizing just how much Regina's life sucked and how little happiness she did have and realizing that Snow and herself had caused it, especially the twist with Marian sort of just making her feel worse and blaming herself and her sacrifice came across, to me, more like I'm not going to let another horrible thing happen to her after all that I (and my family, even Henry to a degree really drove a knife in Regina's heart at times) have done to her. To me it felt more like that was her way of trying to really absolve herself of the guilt in that she finally got to really save Regina and give her a shot at a real happy ending (though I think Regina will feel guilty she did it and not be able to focus on being happy till they save Emma). Piper will have interesting relationships with the Queens :) I can say Cruella won't be able to control her though, mind magic and not being an 'animal' and all :) People like to call Piper a 'fish' at times, but she's still half human and that would protect her more ;) Ursula and Piper will have a bit of a butting heads relationship for a reason I can't say just yet ;)

I've been toying with what Henry should call David and Gold as they're both grandfathers to him, I think it'll probably be grandpa for Gold and just gramps for David eventually :) Gold has suspicions what will come from the ribbons, but in a way, it's a benefit to Emma because, even if it might tie up her magic, it protects her from the Shattered Sight curse too, so it's partially protective and not harming to her. And he also has failsafes and backups that Piper will be made aware of to keep more people than just Emma safe }:) The hat would definitely go against Gold and Piper, but I can say there's a twist for that moment coming ;) He will care for her more than that yup, at the moment he's still sort of suffering the loss of his son and seeing the woman that was in love with his boy but is now chasing after a pirate isn't really letting him feel the care fully. Somewhere in his head he's seeing it as, his boy, that she claimed to love, is dead and Emma's moved in with the snap of a finger to Hook...the same man that sold his son out to Pan, so he's not pleased with her relationship with Hook like Piper at the moment lol :) It came through, I responded to it in the last chapter ;)


	15. Smash the Mirror

Smash the Mirror

"You should go," Emma said to Piper as she got out of her yellow bug, having driven it to the middle of nowhere in the woods early that morning.

"I did not leave you in the night," Piper shook her head, getting out of the car as well, "I shall not abandon you now."

"Why not?" Emma shook her head, "Do you not see this?" she held her hands up, showing Piper the magic and energy that was still rippling along her hands.

Piper gave it an unimpressed glance and lifted an eyebrow, "I am not blind Emma."

"Then why are you still here?!"

"You are family, I shall not abandon you when you have need of me."

"But I don't!" she argued, "I don't need you. I don't need you or anyone else around me when I can hurt you!"

Piper snorted at that, "If you truly believe you could harm me…"

"I hurt my own father," Emma cut in.

"No," she shook her head, taking a step towards Emma but she stepped back so Piper stopped, "You threw your hand out at a _street lamp_. No, actually, you yanked your arm out of the hold of someone you had already warned NOT to touch you and the motion threw your magic at a street lamp, it was not something you chose to launch a fireball at. THEY ignored you, you reacted to an unwanted touch just as every other person would. Well," she considered that, "Every other person besides myself or Rummy. Had it been someone to touch me I did not wish to, they would likely find themselves writhing on the ground and bleeding out their ears."

"You're not helping," Emma huffed.

"Am I not?" Piper shook her head, still so infuriatingly calm that Emma was starting to get antsy, "Emma, if it had been ME to react, they would be in far more agony and wounded greater than a mere street lamp knocking them in the shoulder. And that would be me _consciously choosing_ to do that to another person. What you did was an accident."

"And someone still got hurt," Emma repeated, "My father…"

"Made a choice to push your pirate out of the way," Piper cut in this time, "The bilge rat stood there, staring at the pole as it was falling, when his reactions would have been sharper having spent 300 years on a ship. He could have moved easily, yet he stood there. Your father, ever the hero," she added sarcastically, "Dove into the fray and pushed him aside. He took a hit that was not meant for either man, one that both could have avoided with a single step to the side. THEY made the choices that earned them their wounds, Emma, not you."

"And what if I actually DO wound someone, what if I actually do hurt them, knowingly?"

Piper scoffed at that, "As though you could."

"I could hurt you," Emma pointed out, "Right now, with my magic as it is, you keep pushing me and I could hurt YOU."

"And I would fight back Emma," Piper reached down and plucked her pipe from her boot, "I am by no means defenseless. Unlike the rest of our family, I have my own magic. You attack me, you need me to stop you and I shall. If you lose control, would you like me to calm you?" she held up the pipe, "Lull you to sleep? Make you feel less burdened?"

Emma hesitated a moment at that, "You can really do that?"

"I do not just torture people, despite what your charming father would love to claim," she rolled her eyes, taking a step towards Emma who, finally, did not step away from her, "I raised August," she reminded Emma, "I soothed his nightmares, his fears, calmed him when he was upset. And yes, at times I put a bit of magic into it. You say the word Emma, and I offer my music to you."

Emma looked down at the pipe, about to speak when they heard the sound of twigs cracking and looked over to see Henry hurrying through the woods towards them.

"Mom!" he called to Emma.

Emma's eyes widened as she looked at Piper, "Did you tell him?"

"No," Piper sighed.

"Henry, what are you doing here?" Emma rounded on her son.

"I've been out all night looking for you," Henry smiled at her.

"I told everyone to stay away. I can't control my powers right now. Listen," she tried to smile, "Don't worry about me. I'm gonna find a way to fix this, I'm…" she swallowed hard, looking at Piper for reassurance, the woman nodding, "WE'RE going to find a way to…to work this out. But until I do you gotta go."

"But I can help you…" Henry frowned.

Piper glanced down at Emma's hands, the energy starting to crackle more and more with each step Henry took towards her, "Emma…"

"Henry, just wait…" Emma held up her hands to tell Henry to stop moving…when a pulses of magic shot out of it, knocking into Henry and sending him flying back onto the ground, "Henry!" she screamed, running forward only to stop short, wanting to reach for him, but seeing her hands crackling with the energy, "You ok?"

Piper placed a gentle hand on Emma's shoulder, squeezing it, before she stepped past her to help Henry sit up, "He is fine Emma," she reassured her niece, "Are you not Henry?"

"Yeah," he nodded, though he winced and touched the back of his head, near his ear, "I'm…I'm fine," he tried not to let his voice shake at the feel of a bit of blood on his fingers.

Emma, however, saw it, "Is that a cut?!" she gasped, horrified, "Henry, what did I do…"

"Emma," Piper turned to her, helping Henry stand, "It is a mere scratch…"

"I'm sorry," Emma's eyes filled with tears, "I'm so sorry."

"Mom…" Henry tried to step towards her, but Piper held him back.

"Henry," Piper turned, kneeling before him and taking his hands in her own, "I need you to accomplish a task for me."

Henry blinked at that, Emma watching them, nearly panting from trying to hold in her tears at what she'd just done to her son, "What kind of task?"

"I need you to return to the others and guard them…"

"From mom?!" Henry seemed on the verge of yelling at her for suggesting such a thing.

"No," Piper shook her head firm, "I need you to guard them and ensure they do not leave or search for Emma."

"But…"

"Henry," Piper sighed, "Emma IS struggling with her magic at the moment," she admitted, "And I have been there, I know what it feels like to not want to cause harm to those you love, to not want to be a danger to them. The more you fear it, the harder it becomes to control your magic. You, Snow, David, all of you do not possess magic. And magic can…sense…other magic," she tried to explain, "Emma can sense that I can handle myself around her, it can sense that, if need be, I CAN defend myself. You and the others cannot. I am sorry to say it so bluntly," she reached up to brush his hair, seeing him frowning at her words, "But Emma will see you defenseless and it will make her more cautious and nervous. Please, I need you and the others to leave this to me, ok?" she searched his eyes, seeing him still reluctant to do as she asked, "Do you trust me Henry?"

"What?" Henry blinked.

"Do you trust me?" she repeated, "Do you trust that I will protect Emma and help her through this?"

"Of course," Henry nodded, remembering his discussion with Gold, "Of course I trust you Aunt P."

Piper smiled at that, seeing the earnest truth in his eyes, "Then go home," she squeezed the hand she was still holding, "And keep the others from interfering. You know they will mean well, that they will wish to be heroic and good and help…but often times our best intentions can lead to the worst results. It will fall to you Henry to keep them from harming Emma more," she added that last part more quietly, "Can you do this?"

Henry frowned, pursing his lips a bit, glancing from a shifting, pale, and tearful Emma to Piper, before he nodded, "You can count on me, Aunt P."

Piper nodded, "Everything shall be fine Henry."

He glanced at his mother once more, Emma trying to give him a nod but it ended up being more of a jerk of the head instead, before he turned and ran off through the woods, ready and willing to keep his family put if it meant helping his mother, even if he had to put a chair in front of the door and sit there to keep them in.

Piper let out a long breath and stood, turning to look at Emma, "Emma," she spoke, making the girl look at her, "It is a mere scratch."

"I still hurt him. My magic hurt my son...I'm a monster!"

"You wish to speak about monsters, Emma?" Piper let out a small scoffing breath through her nose, "My magic, the part of me that gives way to my magic, drove me to a point of insanity where I KILLED my son because of it," she may not have physically killed Baelfire, but in her heart and mind and soul, that guilt would always be there, she would always feel that she had truly killed him, because he had died due to actions, "You are hardly anywhere near that point."

"I..." Emma swallowed hard, "I didn't mean..."

"Emma," Piper spoke, "You merely lost control of your magic and it created a tiny scrape on the neck of one boy. I once lost control of my magic and caused all the glass within 20 feet of me to shatter upon every single person near it. Men, women, even other children," she shook her head at that, "Their wounds were many, if minor, far more severe even still than the one Henry has left with."

"Yeah, but that's just it," Emma shook her head, "'Other children?' YOU were a kid at the time then. I'm not. I'm a damn adult!"

"Who has only known of her magic and been able to practice it barely a handful of months since you discovered it," Piper added, "A few months into learning my magic I was causing animals to swarm to me or horses to throw their riders or deafening the court on accident. Magic is about control and focus, about practice. Just because you are the Savior does NOT mean that it will come easier to you. It takes time."

"Time I clearly DON'T have," Emma seemed about to hold up her hands, but thought better of it, "If I don't learn how to stop this, quick, I'm going to hurt everyone I care about."

"Would you mind if I put Hook in front of you then? He irritates me."

"I'm being serious!" Emma snapped, "Piper…I'm _scared_ ," she breathed.

Piper gave her a soft, apologetic look, and stepped closer, about to speak when she froze and spun around, blocking Emma from the Snow Queen that had appeared in a swirl of snow behind them.

"And THEY are scared of you," the Snow Queen said the moment she formed.

Piper held out a hand to keep Emma back, "You stay AWAY from her," she nearly snarled, making Emma jump.

"Are you going to try and stop me?" the Snow Queen taunted, "Funny, I thought you would have given up, especially after what your dear cousin said to you…"

Emma glared at the woman, seeing Piper tense before her, "Get out of here," she shouted, pointing to the side, only for another large pulse of magic to shoot out of her.

"My, you _are_ out of control," the Snow Queen observed Emma's hands, "But, Emma, you're not going to hurt me. Nor should you. I'm on your side."

"Just leave me the hell alone!"

"Come," Piper reached out to take Emma's arm, turning her to the car to get into it, Piper in the driver's seat now. Oh how badly she wanted to use her magic on the Snow Queen, use her music to cause the woman's ears to bleed and many other agonizing displays, but right now Emma would be affected by it as well as she couldn't exactly cover her ears with her hands sparking magic as they were, so…as much as she hated to do it…they had to flee for the moment.

"You can run, but it won't help," the Snow Queen called though she made no move to stop them, "The only way this ends is you embracing who you are."

"If it means hurting people I love, no, thanks," Emma spat, getting into the car, Piper driving them off a moment later, the Snow Queen not following.

"As much as it pains me to admit," Piper began after a moment, "She is not wrong, Emma. Much of magical disruption comes from inner turmoil, often an emotional trigger, once the emotion has been dealt with the magic calms."

Emma shook her head, "I'm not going to accept that my magic makes me a danger to my loved ones."

"Nor is that what I said you would be doing," Piper sighed, "Emma…" she took a breath, "I do believe it is time you and I had a chat about magic and monsters, and how one does not create the other."

~8~

Henry took a deep breath as he reached the door to Mary Margaret's apartment, able to hear her speaking with David, Elsa, and Hook from within. He knew he was going to be in trouble for this, not just because he was about to demand they leave Emma alone, but because they'd ordered him to stay in the apartment and he'd left while they'd been gone. But he'd HAD to!

"…we find our daughter," he could hear David saying as he entered, "Ok?"

"Ok," Mary Margaret sighed.

"You don't have to look anymore," he called, walking over to them.

"Henry!" David spun around, surprised.

"We thought you were asleep upstairs," Mary Margaret frowned at him, "We told you to stay here."

And that was when David noticed the scratch on his head when he turned to put his backpack down, "What happened!?"

"I snuck out, ok?" he turned back to them, "I'm sorry, but I found her."

"…how is she?" Mary Margaret asked hesitantly.

"Is she ok?" David shook his head, "Is she hurt?"

"She's out in the woods," Henry said, "She's with Aunt P."

"Oh thank god," Mary Margaret breathed, "We need to go and…"

"No," Henry shook his head, "No, you all need to stay here and wait till Emma comes home."

"What?" David frowned, "Henry…"

"Aunt P is with her," he repeated, "And she can handle this. So let her," he looked between them, "Trust her. I do. She'll help mom."

"I don't think we should trust something like this to…" David began.

"To what, David?" Mary Margaret cut in, "To my cousin?"

Henry frowned at that, how Mary Margaret was now suddenly acting like she trusted Piper again.

"To a siren," David sighed, "Look, Mary Margaret, Emma was worried about hurting us, that's why she ran. Should we really leave reassuring her in the hands of someone that does nothing but hurt people?"

"Aunt P wouldn't do that," Henry shook his head.

"I know you want to believe the best in her Henry," David turned to him, "But you don't understand what Sirens are like…"

"No, I don't think YOU do," Henry frowned at the man, forcing himself to stand taller as he confronted his family over this.

He could see it now, he could see the…prejudice that came with being who Piper was. It wasn't even that she was the Pied Piper that was bothering everyone, because to them, that was just a result of her siren-half. To them it was WHAT she was that they were starting to see her as instead of WHO she was to them. And it was wrong, it was so wrong. Was he really the only one that remembered everything Piper had done for them? Well he was going to remind them then.

"Sirens of the Sea are deeply loyal to their families," he looked at them, "They love their families and they protect them, with their life if they need to, with everything. The only time they turn against family is if their family betrays them first and you…you all are on the verge of that right now with how you're treating her, like she's some dark untrustworthy creature instead of my Aunt P, YOUR cousin," he looked at Mary Margaret, whose mouth dropped open, "I trust her, because I love her and she loves me, she loves all of you, even you gramps," he added to David, "I mean, I'm sure she does," he amended because really no one knew if Piper actually cared for David in a familial sense, "But even if she doesn't, you're her cousin's true love and she would keep you safe too. Emma is her niece, she loves Emma, and she will help her if we give her time and if we trust her. And I do. And I will," he looked around the room at them, "I hope you do to. Just the fact that Emma let her stay should say something, Emma, deep down, she trusts Aunt P too. So let her help and stay here. Please, just…trust her."

He gave them all one more look before he turned and headed past them, to go to the bathroom and clean the scratch on his head.

"Sirens will protect family with their lives," Elsa repeated, a small frown on her face.

"What?" David looked at her, a little thrown by Henry's words.

"It's just…" she shrugged slightly, "When Hook and I, when we went to see the Dark One, about finding the one that cursed Maid Marian…he said something, he said that Piper…she would kill HIM if she thought, even for a moment, that he was going to harm her family. Because she was a siren, and that's how important family is to them."

"Oh Rose…" Mary Margaret closed her eyes at that, tears in them as Elsa's words hit her in the heart, constricting it painfully.

She had been so afraid, that Gold would do something to harm her family, because he had been so involved in the loss of her children. She'd been so fearful that he would do something to her children, that they weren't safe with the man around. She hadn't…she really hadn't trusted her cousin's choice of true love, hadn't trusted her judgement in trusting Gold. Worse yet…the fact that Piper let the man around her children, it meant that Piper trusted Gold with their lives and safety and wellbeing, to let him that close…and she had thrown that back into Piper's face. She had basically told her cousin, in telling her she didn't trust her opinions when it came to Gold, that she didn't believe Piper had the best interests of the family at heart. She had told her cousin that she didn't thing Piper valued the family, that she wasn't really being loyal or protective of it…that she didn't think they were important.

And to hear this, to hear now that even Gold knew Piper would literally kill him if he harmed the family, if she suspected he would harm them…it meant that the family really was truly THAT important to her cousin. And she'd thrown it all back into her face. She should have realized, she SHOULD have realized how much Piper trusted him with the lives of her family in the sheer fact that the man was still alive. She had the dagger, she had the only thing that could kill the Dark One, and she had access to him. As much as Piper trusted him, Gold trusted her in return, he would allow her close enough to be able to attack. She had the only thing that could kill the Dark One…and she had never used it. Which meant the man WAS trustworthy to the family in the sense that Piper wouldn't allow him to live if he wasn't.

She'd made a terrible, terrible mistake.

"They're right," Mary Margaret breathed, so many truths and painful realizations hitting her, "We… _I_ ," she corrected, "Have treated her the way I always swore I wouldn't," she swallowed hard and looked at David, "I trust her," she determined, "I trust Rose with my life, with yours, with Neal's and Henry's and…and Emma's. She'll help Emma, she will. I know it. I know she will…"

David let out a breath, nodding slightly at his wife's words, hopeful yet cautious as he couldn't afford to blindly trust anyone as much as his wife did, needing to be the more reasonable and logical one of the two even if it meant seeing the worst in others and mistrusting them, "I hope your right."

And he really truly did.

~8~

Mr. Gold stood in his shop, tapping his fingers on the counter, looking at the pipe he had carved for Piper, polished by Henry and dropped off a short while ago. The boy had informed him that Piper was in the woods, with Emma, talking her down from her power outburst, and that she had asked him to trust her with the task. Henry had agreed, had even gotten his other grandparents to back off of interfering and trying to push Emma when she wasn't ready. It had apparently made the boy recall the pipe, made him wish to have it ready for when Piper came back with Emma and the situation was all resolved so that they could give it to her partially in thanks.

He had to smile at that, Henry certainly had the heart of the truest believe, he really did believe that Piper would be able to help Emma in a way the rest of her family couldn't, he really had that much faith in her, as he should.

It appeared Emma was afraid she was a monster for harming someone she loved…in that situation, really Piper was the only one that could help her realize she wasn't a monster at all, the only one Emma might believe not to be coddling her or giving her false reassurances as heroes often did.

Looking at the pipe though, sitting in its little box, it made him think of another set of magical items that had been in a box as well, items he had traded to the Snow Queen for information. She had given him the final piece of the puzzle he needed to free himself from his dagger, something he and Piper had been working on for some time now. The missing piece though…it would be tricky, especially considering the person that held it didn't trust him at all and would be on guard around him at all times…

He needed a way to get the man alone, to have him unguarded, disoriented coming in. He needed him distracted and not expecting what would be coming to him, frantic almost…

His lips curled up into a smirk as he thought of the perfect way to get what he wanted…

~8~

Mary Margaret sighed as she sat in her apartment, not liking this situation despite having agreed to it, not liking that her daughter was out there, hurt and upset, and she was just…sitting there. She was thankful, she was, that her cousin was out there and helping Emma, she understood, she did, that Piper would be able to really get Emma to understand that having magic wasn't bad or evil, but…at the same time, it should be HER. SHE was Emma's mother, and she couldn't even take care of her own daughter because SHE had been part of the reason Emma had run off in the first place.

She rubbed her head, this entire thing was a mess, and she'd made it so much worse. And now her cousin, whom she'd hurt deeply, was out there helping her niece because she cared. She really and deeply cared about Emma, and SHE had implied she didn't care enough. By rights Piper could have turned her back on the entire family because of her and she'd have understood, what she'd said, especially to a partial Siren, was truly cruel, one of the worst things she could imply. But Piper was putting that aside, putting her anger at HER aside, to help Emma. If only she had done that, put aside her discomfort with Gold to see the truth in Piper's choice and trust, maybe this whole thing would have been avoided.

She'd been so on edge with her fight with Piper and all those thoughts about magic and darkness and monsters flying through her head, when she'd seen Emma using it on Neal's bottle…something in her had reacted and…she had actually thought her daughter might have been using magic against her brother.

But really, what had she been thinking!? The magic Emma had used was pure white, it was light magic! If only she'd realized it then, if only she'd realized how pure the light was, she would have been teary that Emma was using light magic for her brother instead of stepping back like Emma had tried to curse him.

She let out a breath, glancing over at Regina who disappeared up stairs, fixing her shirt as she went and smiled. They'd called her over to be there with them. Not that they thought Regina would go off on a hunt for Emma, Regina had enough sense to know that with her temper and personality she might set Emma off more, but more…if…in the off chance…Piper failed, Henry would need his other mother desperately. And really…she needed the woman there too, she needed to see a woman that had made dark choices, essentially chosen to become Dark, and come back from it to be there in sight. Piper had been born dark, had grown darker, and life had led her to experiences that made her turn to true darkness easier. She needed to see Regina, someone that went dark and fought back to goodness, to remind her that no matter what, no matter if Emma hurt someone with her magic…if she could forgive Regina, she could forgive Emma anything.

She turned to David as the man explained a locator spell Regina had brought with her to Elsa, showing her Emma's scarf that they would use. They had agreed that they would give Piper 24 hours before they tried to find Emma, not even to interfere but just…to check up on her, from a distance if they had to.

She nearly jumped when her cell began to ring, half running to grab it, hopeful it might be Emma, and let out a breath when she saw it WAS, "It's her!"

"Hey, mom," came Emma's voice in her ear, "It's me. Did Henry come home?"

"Oh, yes, yes," she nodded, "No, he's fine. Emma, I am so sorry about what happened yesterday. I don't want you to _ever_ think that we are afraid of you."

"Don't worry. It doesn't matter."

"No, of course it matters! I…"

"This is all gonna be over soon," Emma cut in, "I just needed to tell you that I'm ok. I actually have a way to fix everything."

"Fix everything?" she frowned.

"Piper explain to me the reason I have magic when other True Love Children, like Neal, don't is because of the Curse. I was never meant to have magic. And I think I have a way to get rid of it forever. I'll be back soon. I promise. And maybe we can…"

~8~

"…have some cocoa and cinnamon later tonight?" Gold spoke into Emma's cell phone that he'd nicked from the station when she'd run out without it, using the faint traces of her and his magic to make his voice sound as though it were Emma's, "I'd like that. I can't wait for it actually. So I'll see you later, ok?"

He grinned, ending the call, slipping the phone into his pocket, and pulling out a small map, circling the mansion in the woods to leave on his counter as he headed out for one more meeting he had to see to before the events that would undoubtedly take place that night that would get him his final piece of his dagger puzzle.

Heroes were unfailingly boring in their reactions to things…but villains, if you knew them well enough, were predictable.

He gave it no more than ten minutes before the pirate came running, suspecting him and his magic-stealing hat to be the method 'Emma' had spoken of, and found the location that it would all happen at.

~8~

Gold strode quietly into the lair of the Snow Queen, seeing her gazing at her mirror as he approached, her eyes focusing on his reflection in it when she spotted him, "Did you come here for a reason?" she inquired, "As I recall, I already told you what you need to do to free yourself from your dagger. Hmm," she turned and slowly walked towards him, "I have nothing more to give you…unless you simply like watching me."

His eyes narrowed slightly at that, "I never do anything without a good reason. And watching your twisted mind at work does not qualify," he eyed her up and down, starting to circle her, "You're nowhere near as interesting as Piper."

The Snow Queen ignored his last comment, focusing instead on what he'd said about herself, "Twisted? Says the man who betrayed everyone in Storybrooke."

"Ahh," he held up a finger, "I haven't betrayed a single person. Not yet, anyway," nor did he really plan to betray anyone important to him or Piper, but the Snow Queen didn't need to know that little fact.

"Did you forget that you gave me those?" she gestured to the ribbons sitting on an icy desk as he moved before her, "Did you forget what they can do?"

"I don't forget much, dearie," he came to face her once more, "But if you plan to put that ribbon on Emma Swan, you may find yourself disappointed. With how you sparked her powers to be out of control, she's now terrified of them. And all your little hopes of being the one to get her to accept them, to garner her loyalty and appreciation, well," he smirked, "She has someone else she'll bond with instead."

The Snow Queen glared at him for that, for how he'd worked out her plan with Emma. She HAD intended to be the one to help Emma through it, make her as scared as she had felt and swoop in with tales of similar pains and love to help her overcome her fear and accept who she was. It would make her that much more human in Emma's eyes, make Emma empathize with her, make her feel some sort of connection between them…she would NOT lose that to the Piper, for who else could he be talking about but the woman that had been with Emma before and left with her.

"You think she can take her away from me now?" she stepped forward, lifting her hand to use her magic on Gold, to banish him so she could go deal with the Piper herself, for she had only thought Piper there to try and convince Emma to return to Storybrooke, had not thought at all that the woman would actually be able to relate to and bond with Emma the way she could, but if the Dark One believed it would happen, so much so that he'd dare risk gloating about it to HER…it had to be true.

But the moment she sent her magic at him, it fizzled, barely even forming. She tried once more and glared at him, "What did you do?"

"Look down," he nodded to the floor where a faint golden circle of flecks was scattered around her, "Remember the urn your sister placed you in? It had the power to limit your magic."

"Elsa destroyed that urn!"

"Well, funny thing about magic," he hummed, "It can never be destroyed completely. It simply lives on in other forms. Magic survives. I visited the barn where the urn was destroyed, collected its remnants grain by grain, painstaking process. And I must say," he smirked, "The effort paid off."

"When I escape, there will be a terrible price to pay!" she cried as he turned to go.

He paused and looked back at her, "Don't worry. The dust won't last long, just long enough to get what I want. Just long enough for Pip to settle her niece instead of you," he moved to go, but stopped once more, "And, uh, you see, I don't have to betray everyone in Storybrooke," he eyed her, "Just you," before he turned and walked out, letting the sounds of the Snow Queen trying to conjure her now useless magic following him.

He had given Piper plenty of time to sort out her niece…now he had a pirate to see to.

~8~

"The docks?" Emma eyed the place Piper had driven them to, "Seriously?"

Piper sighed, "I am not overly fond of the sea," she admitted, "But I know you favor looking upon water when you are troubled or in need of thought," she led Emma over to a bench that looked out upon the ocean, the moon high in the sky. She glanced at Emma and patted the seat beside her pointedly till Emma rolled her eyes and sat down, Piper smiling when Emma didn't immediately think to move as far away as possible on the bench.

"Why didn't you do it?" Emma asked after a long while of silence.

"Do what?"

"Use your magic on me?" Emma glanced at her, "You were with me all night, all day, you offered to do it, but you never actually DID. Why?"

"You did not need it," she shrugged simply. Emma scoffed at that, "I speak truly Emma. You have it in yourself to calm yourself, you had no need of my magic. Look at us, right now," she turned to the girl, "As you said, you have been with me all day, all night, and I am perfectly unharmed. YOU did not harm me, you were no danger to me. You are not a danger to others."

"No," Emma shook her head, "It's like you told Henry, my magic can sense that you can handle it and it's not reacting to you and…" she trailed off seeing the small smile that Piper was giving her, "And that's not true at all is it?"

"In a manner of speaking, it is," Piper assured her, "It is not that your magic can sense mine, but that YOU know I possess magic, you see me as someone more able to protect myself should you lose control of it. All you need do is realize that you DO have some semblance of control of your magic and it shall not cause harm to anyone you do not wish it to."

Emma fell silent at that, turning to look out at the water, "Even if I get control of it now, it won't erase the fact that I hurt the people I love," she shook her head, "And the look in Mary Margaret's eyes…"

"Is a look all people with magic see in the eyes of others when they make a mistake," Piper sighed, "It is an unfortunate truth Emma, one that is not and will not ever apply to just you, so do try not to think you are the only person who has ever been looked upon with distrust and fear because of magic. How do you think the entire town looks upon Rummy? Upon me?"

"That's…different," Emma tried to argue, "He's the Dark One."

"Dark does not equate Evil," Piper gave her a look," Do you think me evil Emma?"

"No," Emma frowned, not sure where this was going.

"I am, by birth and blood, a dark creature," Piper explained, "THAT is what a siren is classified as, a dark creature. And from the moment I was born that is what everyone around me, save my parents and Snow, expected me to be. Could you imagine, growing up in an environment like that? Where everyone looks at you, even before you show your magic, as though they know not what to make of you? As though they are just waiting for you to do something foul to them?"

"It wouldn't have been much different if my parents got to raise me," Emma muttered, "Even before I was born I was 'the Savior,'" she crossed her arms, looking out at the sea, "It's…hard," she admitted, understanding what Piper was trying to get at, "It's a burden, to have so many expectations of what you should be and trying to live up to them."

"I tried not to," Piper told her softly, reaching out to take Emma's hand though they both were staring at the water, "I tried to be the opposite of what people thought of me, tried to be more like Snow. But as I grew older, it became too much. I was not being myself and I was not being who I truly was. Being half-siren was as much a part of me as being half-human yet I kept ignoring my siren half in an effort to be accepted. I tried to take the magic it gave me and use that while also pushing away the part that gave me my magic in the first place," she squeezed Emma's hand and made her look at her, "You cannot accept your title as 'Savior' without also accepting the magic that comes with it."

"I never wanted the magic though," Emma shook her head.

"And you think I did?" Piper countered, "Emma those that are proficient in magic are born of it, born with the talent for it. Yes, others may become somewhat capable of using it, but those that are truly powerful are born to possess it. None of us had a choice."

"Gold did."

"Yes, he did," Piper nodded, "But that has no point in what WE are discussing, of those born with it. Emma magic is a part of us whether we like it or not. And that sort of magic is incredibly difficult and dangerous to have taken away, which means it is best for everyone that we learn to use it and control it."

"Hold on," Emma frowned, "It's difficult and dangerous to have it taken away? So it's _possible_ to remove my magic?"

Piper looked at her long and hard, "If you so much as try to, Emma Swan, I will music you into a coma."

Emma's eyes widened at that, "I was just…"

"You have NO idea what a process like that is like, nor what the consequences of it would be."

"Then tell me," Emma hesitated before squeezing Piper's hand, sensing there was far more than just not wanting her to give up her magic in her words. They sounded too...fearful.

"All you need know is it is agonizing, the MOST agonizing pain you will ever experience in your life, far worse than anything my pipe or even the Dark One could devise," Piper stated, her voice going flat as she spoke, as though she were disassociating, "It will feel as though your life, your very soul is being torn to pieces, leaving you cold and struggling. The more powerful you are, Emma, the more the magic is ingrained into your very being. To try to remove it will very likely kill you, and you are an adult, the magic has been in you longer."

Emma was quiet a minute or two, "You sound like you have experience with it…"

Piper sighed, "I do," she told the girl, her voice quiet, "Once, a long time ago, it was done to me. It was stopped before the process could be completed, but it happened. And I nearly died."

"Oh my god," Emma breathed, "How old were you?" Piper looked at her for that, "You said that I'm an adult, you don't get that specific unless, holy shit…you were a KID?" her eyes widened at that, "Someone did that to you when you were just a kid?"

Piper swallowed and looked away but forced herself to look back, "My parents."

"Why the hell…" she shook her head, hardly able to believe parents would do that to a child…

Would HER parents have done that to her?

"Because I asked them to," Piper answered, sounding as though she were admitting to something very few people knew, and really…only two besides herself did, Gold and Emma, "I asked them to because I was scared of what I could do. I was terrified I would hurt the ones I loved, hurt Snow," she looked meaningfully at Emma, "Sound familiar?"

Emma let out a breath at that, but said nothing.

"I was scared, for much of my life, Emma, that I would grow to be as much a monster as my people feared I would be. It took years before I accepted the truth of the situation."

"And what was that?"

"That everyone is different," she reached out and took Emma's other hand, "We all have different lives, different personalities, and different magics. Our magics even have their own orientations, towards light or dark. The Dark One, myself, we go to the dark. You, the fairies, they stray to the light."

"What the hell's Regina then?"

"As hard as it may be to believe, she was once light," Piper informed, "It took her many years to turn her magic to the dark, to make it dangerous. And that, Emma, is my point. You fear your magic, you fear it may harm people, but what you must understand is it is all relying on YOU. Your magic is light, it will not intentionally harm people. Your magic is light, it will not instantly turn dark unless you…become the Dark One or something, which I shall have to ask you not to do as I rather do love Rummy and would not see him killed," Emma cracked a small smile at that, "And YOU Emma," she grew serious again, "YOU are a good person. You are the farthest thing from a monster so, please, never think yourself to be one."

They lapsed into silence a moment, before Piper let out a long breath, seeing Emma was still slightly concerned, not as much as before, but still hesitant to accept her magic.

"Do you want to know why I truly believe you will not ever become a monster?" Piper asked her, "Whether you have magic or not?"

"Why?" Emma looked at her, really needing to know, needing to know from someone that would be honest with her and not just tell her false pleasantries or feed her a hope speech but just…tell her the truth, tell it like it is.

"Because I AM a monster Emma. I have caused people to nearly seize to death for a mere slap, caused others to be torn apart limb from limb simply because they refused to pay me owed money, set free a tortured prisoner just so that I could enjoy the hunt to get him back, and I caused for your uncle to be killed purely so that your father would be in a position to meet your mother. And worse, I have done SO much worse, I have done things that you would be horrified to even consider Emma, and for that reason alone you could never be a monster. You could not even begin to be like me if you tried," she smiled at Emma even as the girl frowned, "You are just too good a person."

"You're not a monster Aunt P," Emma murmured, despite what the woman had said, the things she'd described, it was dark yes, it was cruel, but...when she thought of 'monster' in her head...it just...it didn't ring out that the woman before her, the one that had raised August, that had searched tirelessly for her for 28 years, that had protected Henry and Mary Margaret and jumped into a portal after Neal...it didn't scream monster to her.

"I am, and that is ok," she told Emma calmly, "I have had…many years to accept what I have become. I am not a monster because I have magic, or because I am half a dark creature, I am…what I am because of…many reasons," she explained, "Yes, I care little for others outside my family, which does stem from being a siren, but it is about choices Emma. I _choose_ to use my magic the way I do, however I choose. I choose to use it to torture people and control them, I choose to steal children and torment others, I choose to use it to murder and other foul deeds. I am not pure, Emma, I am not Snow, and you are not me," she tilted her head, "If you had the choice to use your magic to pry an answer out of an enemy by using it to cause unimaginable agonizing pain, would you do it?"

"No."

" _I_ would," Piper's smile was a bit sad now, "Do you see the difference between us? You accidently harmed your father in a moment where your magic was truly out of your control, it was not a conscious act, it was not something you wanted or intended to do. I, on the other hand, have repeatedly tortured him while in full control of my magic, in a conscious act and a desire to cause him pain, something I wanted and intended to do. What makes us a hero or a villain, Emma, is what we choose to do and how we choose to go about getting what we want. What makes us a…savior or a monster, is what we are on the inside, something that has nothing at all to do with magic."

"My magic won't…"

"No," Piper cut in, knowing what Emma wanted to ask without her wanting to say it out loud, "Magic does not control us, magic does not turn us, it is our own hearts and our soul that control our magic. The Dark One is, likely, the only exception to that, and even then…Dark is not…"

"Evil," Emma finished, "I know, he…he did some good," she agreed, "Even being the Dark One, he still spent time looking for his son to apologize, he sacrificed himself to save the town from Pan," she glanced up, "He loves you. If he was…if he was really as evil as everyone thinks, he wouldn't be able to love you or…or wake you with true love's kiss."

"Exactly," Piper nodded, "Many people are…suspicious of our love," she told Emma something she hadn't even mentioned to Mary Margaret though she suspected that the woman's distrust in Gold might be an indication that she subscribed to the belief of others too, "Because he is still the Dark One despite my kissing him, that our love is not true. Or that it is only true on his side, which is rubbish, but does also show how others view me Emma. They believe the Dark One more capable of love than I, when really my kisses not breaking his curse are a testament to our love. I love him enough to not want to change him, I love him truly as he is, all of him. I do not wish to break his curse and without the intent, the curse does not break. Intent, Emma. Intent is the difference between good and evil, between savior and monster. And even then…we can love. We can all love."

"I don't think you're a monster, Aunt P," Emma told her, holding up a hand to keep her quiet a moment, "I mean it as in…I really don't think a true monster CAN love. And you do. Just because you call yourself a monster, doesn't really make you one. And I think, so long as you can love, as anyone can love, they couldn't be a monster."

"And what does that mean for you Emma?" Piper eyed her, smiling though at the words Emma had told her. She had called herself a monster in front of her cousin a time or two, and all she'd gotten in response was 'you're not a monster, you're my cousin' but that had no explanation, no true reasoning for why she wasn't a true monster. Emma…Emma had given her one, her capacity and ability to love meant she truly couldn't be a monster in the sense that every other person used it, and it was…comforting, "If the entire reason you feared your magic was because you love your family."

Emma let out a huff of air at that, but…smiled, "It means I'm not one either," she nodded, understanding now, "And…having magic doesn't make me one either. I just need to practice and trust myself, trust my magic, and…and I won't hurt anyone."

"And if you DO harm someone…"

"It will depend on my intention," she started to laugh, feeling lighter, "If I didn't mean to hurt them, then it's not something dark or evil, but an accident. And if I did mean to hurt them…they were probably an enemy because I don't WANT to hurt anyone."

"The magic is not what makes you good or evil," Piper nodded, "It is your heart, and Emma…yours…yours is pure."

Emma leaned in and hugged her tightly, "Thank you Aunt P," she murmured in Piper's ear, the woman hugging her back just as firm.

"Anything for my family, Emma," Piper pulled back, eyeing her a moment, just a bit sadly.

"What is it?" Emma asked.

"I was just…imagining," she murmured, "What you would have been like, had I raised you knowing of your magic and ready for it the entire time. You may have accepted it quicker, true, but…" she let out a breath, "I wonder what orientation your magic would have taken with me as your guiding hand," she laughed a bit, "I hardly think the town would be happy if you turned a bit dark."

"Well they would have had to deal with it and get their heads out of their asses," Emma nudged her, "Because Dark is not Evil. And…" she trailed off, "I probably would have beaten their enemies faster if I'd known I'd had magic, so they might have thanked you in the end."

"True," Piper laughed.

"But…it doesn't matter when I accepted my magic," Emma determined, "It just matters that I DO accept it."

"And do you?" Piper smiled.

Emma just turned and threw her hands up into the air, sending what appeared to be an aurora borealis drifting across the sky before it turned into fireworks, casting them in a multicolored glow as they watched, side by side.

~8~

Gold smirked as he stood in the shadows before the mansion in the woods, watching as Hook did just as he predicted and ran frantically towards the building.

"Swan!" the man shouted, pushing through an iron gate to the main path.

"Watch your step, captain," he called, stepping out of the shadows and into his path, "The terrain's a little rough around here."

"Get out of my way, Crocodile," Hook glared at him, "I'll die fighting before I let you use that bloody hat on Emma!"

Gold merely waved his hand, sending Hook flying back, pressing him against the iron gate, another twist of his wrist causing the iron to twist and bend, locking the pirate's arms and legs in place.

"No!"

Gold chuckled, stepping up to him, "Death can wait. How about before you depart, I'll treat you to a little piece of advice, eh? You need to start working on your 'cunning nature,' you've gotten a bit rusty if you didn't realize this was a trap."

"A what?" Hook struggled.

Gold let out a mocking sigh, "As though Miss Swan would come to me when Pip was with her to console her," he looked at Hook, pulling out Emma's phone from his pocket to hold up to him, "Hello, mom?" he made his voice sound like Emma's for a moment, causing Hook to still, both in realization that the person who had called Mary Margaret hadn't been Emma and also that Emma had gotten none of his phone calls trying to warn her about this, "And as though I would use that hat on the Savior, on Pip's niece, on my grandson's mother," he wasn't…particularly fond of thinking of Emma like that, in that last regard, in a way that connected her to his son. To him, the woman had done a fine job proving her love and care for his boy, moving on to the pirate mere days after his boy 'died' in Neverland, even continuing to court the pirate now without regard to mourning periods. It disturbed him a great deal to think that his son had died in love with a woman that couldn't even be bothered to honor his memory before moving onto the man that had sold him out to Pan, but he was getting lost in thought now, "It seems, mate," he mocked, "That I am the one who knows you better than you do me."

"What are you talking about?!" Hook demanded, struggling more in earnest now at the mention of Emma.

"Let me guess," Gold made his way up to him, "You thought that, from the little message 'Emma' left, she was coming to me for help to remove her magic. And, of course, as you were privy to it, you guessed that my preferred method of doing so would be the hat. So you broke into my shop," he tsked, "And found a map sitting conveniently on the counter, with an X marking this spot right here," he pointed down, "And you were so consumed with worry about your dear Miss Swan that you didn't even consider it was all…too convenient?" he smirked, "You came running right into my trap, dearie."

"What would you need this for?" Hook tried to jerk his hand free but it was pointless, "You already have me at your beck and call with your blackmail."

"I needed you distracted," Gold shrugged, "I needed you to come rushing in with your guard down. I needed you to not fight quite so much so that I could get you right where I wanted," he'd reached Hook with just one more step, "And here you are. You see, I need to fill that hat with power, yes, and the Savior's magic would be exactly what I need, but I made a promise, long ago, a deal of sorts, not to harm Emma Swan. It's lucky this town has other magic practitioners with power of their own to help fill that void. But really, that was only part of the equation. Because I need something else, a secret ingredient, one I didn't know about until an associate clued me in. A heart."

"Well, if you need my help procuring it, know the only help I give you is with your demise!"

"Oh, you're gonna help me, alright," he grinned, "You see, this spell is gonna finally separate me from the dagger so it no longer holds power over me. Something Pip will be quite relieved about after the last debacle involving it. And this…is where YOU come in, for in order to cast it…I need the heart of someone special, someone who knew me _before_ the dagger, before I was the Dark One. Unfortunately, everyone who fits that description is already dead, but _one_ still lives."

He relished in the exact moment Hook worked out what he was talking about, "No!"

"Yes," he nodded, "As luck would have it, dearie, you're my oldest friend," before he reached out, pushing his hand into Hook's chest and ripped out his beating heart, delighting in Hook's agonized scream.

"Get on with it, then," Hook panted, "Just do it!"

"Oh, no," Gold shook his head, "I promised you we'd have some fun first," he glanced at the heart, "But perhaps I'll let Pip have first go," he considered, before looking at Hook, his expression dark and serious, "You're gonna do everything I say because you're _my_ puppet now. You're gonna find another way to fill that hat with the power it needs. And then? Then…I'll kill you."

Though that last part would likely have to wait, he had ripped out Hook's heart without Piper there, and he knew she'd be rather putout that she'd missed such an event. He wouldn't end the pirate without her there to watch and, perhaps, help if she were in the mood.

He smirked and looked up at the sky just as fireworks went off in the distance, near the docks...

~8~

"Emma!"

Emma blinked at the sudden shout that had not come from Piper beside her and stood, turning to see Mary Margaret, the one who had called out, running towards her with David, Elsa, and Henry.

"You didn't do it!" Mary Margaret breathed, thrilled as she leaned in to hug her daughter.

She'd been so worried when Emma had called to tell her that she'd found a way to remove her magic. She and David had tried to be supportive, tried to rationalize it all. To say that Emma wouldn't have to fear harming anyone, that she could be normal, that maybe the heroic thing to do was to remove the powers, that Piper wouldn't agree to let it happen if it wasn't for the best…but it was all wrong, so wrong, their daughter was special and they were so happy she still had her magic as evidenced by the fireworks in the sky, the ones that had led them to the docks the second they'd spotted it, not even needing the locator they'd started to use to do it. They'd just wanted to find her and tell her that they thought it was a mistake to remove her magic, but then they'd seen the lights in the sky and they knew…it hadn't happened.

"Didn't do what?" Emma blinked, pulling away after a moment, only for David to hug her as well, "Guys what didn't I do?"

"Got rid of your magic," David answered, pulling away to look her in the eye, "We don't ever want you to feel like you need to lose a part of you, we love you, no matter what."

"That's great and all but…hey kid," she let out an oomph as Henry hugged her as well, "How are you?" her concern for her son drove her question out of her mind when she saw the scratch was gone from his neck.

"Just glad you're ok," he beamed up at her.

"Snow," Piper began, holding up a hand even when Mary Margaret tried to speak, "What is all this about? Why did you believe Emma was going to give up her magic?"

"We got her phone call," Mary Margaret looked between them, only to frown when Emma seemed confused, "The one where you said you found a way to get rid of it…"

"I didn't send any phone calls," Emma shook her head, "I don't even have my phone," she patted her pockets for evidence, "I left it at the station…"

"The Snow Queen must have taken it," David realized, "She must have used her magic to trick us."

"But why?" Henry frowned.

"Maybe she wanted to distract us?" Mary Margaret looked at them, "You told us not to seek Emma out till she came to us, Henry, but…here we are," she sighed, "We fell for it."

"She probably hoped we would run into Emma while she was still on edge and spur another attack," Elsa frowned.

"That does make sense," David rationalized, it HAD gotten them racing out of the house, even Henry, to try and find Emma to stop her. If they'd left any earlier, who knew what Emma and her magic's reaction would be.

"Emma?" Mary Margaret looked at her a moment, "How are you? How's your magic?"

Emma just smiled and looked at Piper, "Under control."

Piper smiled at that, reaching out to take Emma's hand, to squeeze it a moment.

When Henry noticed something odd on his mother's wrist, "Mom, when did you get that?"

Emma looked down to see there was a yellow ribbon wrapped around her wrist, "I don't know."

Elsa gasped, seeing the same little bow on hers as well, "Emma, what's happening?" she frowned, trying to tug the bow off, "It won't come off!"

"Mine won't, either," Emma struggled, before gasping and clutching at her wrist instead.

"I feel it, too," Elsa looked up, alarmed, "It's like it's funneling all my magic away, like it's…harnessing it somehow."

"Any idea what this is?" David looked to the three with magic.

"No," Emma's expression grew serious, "But I have a pretty good idea where it came from."

The Snow Queen.

A/N: So this chapter was very different than the episode, but with Piper there, I couldn't see Elsa being the one to get through to Emma. Yes, Elsa and Emma are similar, but here...Piper's method was to show Emma what a REAL monster was to prove to her she wasn't nor would she ever be close to one. It was talking about how even the most practiced and skilled magic users had to start somewhere, how they all made mistakes, how they hurt people they loved. I felt all Emma really needed was a deep conversation and to just be sat down, calmly, and talked to instead of everyone pushing her or Elsa needing to talk about Anna and everything. It is important for Emma to love herself in order to control her magic, but during the hard times where it's difficult to do, I felt like thinking about that particular love wouldn't really resonate with Emma or be something she'd remember, but rational arguments and reassurances that things get better with time and practice would.

On that note, with Gold's relationship to Piper, I also couldn't see him really using the hat on Emma, but he knew that it was a good trap for Hook. He is a very clever man. He knew if Hook heard Emma had found a way to get rid of her magic, that he would think of the only person in town powerful enough to do it, Gold, and what sort of objects Gold had that could do it, the Hat, and would rush to rescue or stop Emma. He used the man's fear of what Emma might do in such a situation to manipulate Hook into walking into a trap so he could steal the man's heart. He knew that Hook would need to be frantic and rushing so as to be able to get him with his guard down and his mind distracted and get him in a position to take his heart. On a good day, Hook wouldn't have fallen for it nor agreed to really be alone with the Dark One, so he needed Hook desperate and distracted ;) It killed two birds with one stone so to speak, he got Hook's heart while Piper got Emma to calm down and think ;)

I am...VERY excited for the next few episode-chapters }:)

Some notes on reviews...

I'm glad you didn't like him :) I tried to make it sort of a generic response, an example of something Rose heard nearly every time she left the castle. It happens so much and is so commonplace how people feel and think of her, the whispers that people get bolder sometimes and say it to her face, and she can't react because it would be something her father would have to deal with so some others will say it thinking they're safe...but when Snow was put in the crossfire, Rose reacted ;) For Isaac, it could be, in the story, that his pen is more powerful than the pipe lol :) Like in giving the characters all new pasts and memories, he suppressed part of Piper that held those memories...though I can say there's something else that'll happen that'll cause Piper's mind/memories to be affected too };)

Ethan's reaction is definitely a leftover lingering concern that he would be a bad ruler for his people, he sort of senses that they really dislike his choice in Queen and he was trying to be a good ruler, he produced an heir, but when that reaction came he also didn't want to be seen as a worse ruler for having more :( It's sort of like how Leopold only wanted his people to be happy, his brother really only wanted his people to think he was a good king (due to all his doubts that he'd be one). :( I can say though that the kingdom's reaction might be justified...we still have a few more flashbacks of both Ilayda and Rose and things they might have done to upset the people }:) For the last chapter they were about a month younger than when Leopold died, so just around the time Regina takes over :( I agree, Snow is a little hypocritical of who she lets around her children, something she's starting to realize now ;)

Well, in the show, with all the switching of daggers, I think Belle used the gauntlet she and Henry found to take her to the Dark One's greatest weakness, which was his real dagger which she got a hold of and used to banish him. In the story though, we'll have to wait and see who might get the dagger and how and what comes of it all }:)


	16. Siren School

Siren School

King Ethan stood at a window of his castle, smiling gently as he watched his daughter playing in the courtyard, crouched down in her small blue dress, trying to lure a mouse out of a small hole with a bit of bread. She was…his everything, that little girl, she and her mother, were his entire world. He would give anything for them, but, he let out a sigh, he too had to think of his kingdom as well. It was something he struggled to balance, even now, years after he'd been named king of the realm. It was always there, niggling at him, all the people of the kingdom that depended on him to rule them, to see to their needs and safety and welfare, the whole of the kingdom had to come first in many ways. Yet that little girl, just barely turned 4, was also something to do with that. She was his heir, she would be Queen when he passed on to the next life, so, equally so, she had to come first too.

It was difficult, to balance both being a father and being a king, but he tried. He failed in some regards, failed his people, failed his wife and child in others. But he tried, and that was what Leopold would remind him if he were there to clap him on the shoulder and speak to him as brothers do, he would remind him that trying, the effort you put to it, was what mattered in the end, to not even try was to fail in the worst way. He couldn't help it though, not when he looked at his sweet daughter, to consider all the ways he wouldn't be able to help her in the future. Oh he could teach her how to rule and rule well, he could teach her all manner of courtly customs and spend days lecturing on politics and treaties and so many other things that came with running a kingdom. But his daughter wasn't just a princess…she wasn't just human either.

She was half-Siren, his wife, her mother, was a full-blooded one, and that made his daughter…different. It wasn't a bad different, not at all, he loved her all the more for what made her special in his eyes. But he knew it would be a difficult road for her and whenever he looked at her he couldn't help but feel such…guilt. He had been a selfish man, the worst sort of selfish when he'd been made king. He'd let his own doubts and fears consume him, he'd been selfish in not wanting to deal with them and nearly lost his life. And after his attempts failed, after he'd met his wife, Ilayda, he'd become even more selfish for he'd asked her hand, asked her to leave her family, her clan, something Sirens were never meant to do. But she had, for him, for his safety, she'd left the Sea and come to live with him on land, cutting her ties to the ocean and her family at the same time merely for the chance at having all of that with him. And he'd been selfish to let it happen, to want it to happen, to take someone from their family just so he could keep her with him. He'd been weak and he'd…he'd needed her, she made him want to live again and she made him happy. She advised him in a blunt, sometimes harsh, way that his advisers never would. He valued her opinion, her perspective, she made him a better, stronger man, a firmer ruler, and he loved her for that.

And when their child had been born, he'd been overjoyed, he was going to give his people an heir, he was going to be a father…the people hadn't been pleased, hadn't been when he'd taken Ilayda for a wife as well, but they'd accepted it as a fact and as something they could not change. They themselves as subjects, in all kingdoms, put pressure on their rulers to have an heir to continue the bloodlines and monarchy. They could not fault him for producing one even if they did fault him for his choice in Queen. When Rose had been born, his little Rose Red, and he'd held her in his arms, he'd been filled with such overwhelming love for the little being that depended on him. And he had done all he could as she grew to be there for her, to be someone she could depend and rely on, tried his best to protect her and teach her, guide her.

But there were some areas, he was realizing, he wouldn't be able to do that for.

He had always know, when he wed Ilayda, that their children might be like her, possess her unique form of magic, a talent for using music and sounds to manipulate others, a magic that came from tones and vibrations. He had tried to prepare for it, but looking at his daughter now he knew nothing could have truly done that. He gazed at her and he knew that she was just like her mother, she had inherited her talents and magic, even if the girl didn't realize it yet.

And that…that could be dangerous for a girl so young.

She'd had that magic from the moment she was born, as evidenced by the way the walls and ground would shake when she was but a babe, screaming in her cot for food or a changing or just for them to pick her up. For such a small being she had…quite the set of lungs. They had been fearful that it would continue into every area of her voice, that just talking would be a danger to others, but it had proved a relief when, as the screaming died down, so did the magic it seemed. There was a distinct feel in the air whenever she would hum or sing though, something Ilayda had told him was as sign of her magic really starting to form and orient itself within her. Being so newly born, the magic was frantic and uncontrolled, it escaped in every burst it could from her, but as she grew it would start to settle.

But with the settling came a danger, not to Rose, but to others if she didn't learn to control her voice. She hardly every shouted, hardly ever got so worked up, so no one was the wiser about her magic for the most part. But he knew from watching his elder brother that, sometimes, even the best behaved of children could snap at times, and he wanted his daughter prepared, to understand that there were greater consequences if she lost her temper than for most. Recently one of her nursemaids had come to them with a concern, it appeared the windows had started to crack when they'd tried to tell her that she had to wear the blue dress, a color she didn't seem to favor, being so light blue, like the sky.

It was a minor, petulant tantrum, a small one, but it had been enough magic in her voice to start cracking the glass around her.

He let out a sigh, watching her now, playing with the mouse, sitting on the dirty ground without a care in the world to her outfit and still holding the bread out to it, seemed almost to be speaking to it, trying to coax it closer and he had no doubt she would. Animals reacted more strongly around her than people did, to the small changes in her voice, the gentle inpouring or magic into her words.

"What troubles you, my husband?"

He smiled at the voice of his wife, hearing her before he spotted her reflection in the window, walking towards him, regal in her sea-blue gown. She did that often, wore colors she recalled from her home, sea-blue, seaweed green, foam white, and many other colors that could only be seen in the vast seas. He knew it pained her to be parted from it, for him, and so he never begrudged her her particular sense of color in her outfits.

"Our daughter is a wonder, my love," he reached behind her, taking her hand to tug her beside him even as he kept his eyes on Rose, now flopped onto her stomach, seeming to think that she appeared too big to the mouse and that being closer to the ground would reassure it.

"That she is," Ilayda smiled at her, resting her hand on his shoulder, half turned to lean on him as they observed their daughter. She blinked a moment, considering the girl, listening intently, "She is using her magic."

"Is she?" he glanced at her, unable to really hear what Rose was saying to the mouse now, but, looking back, he could see the critter starting to approach her more easily than before.

Ilayda hummed and nodded, "She is growing stronger in it every day."

"That is what worries me," he admitted with a sigh, "I know we agreed that we would wait till she was five years of age before we began to teach her of her magic, but if it is manifesting now…"

Ilayda nodded, glancing out the window at her daughter, the mouse now sitting on her arm, eating its speck of bread, "I shall being her lessons on the morrow," she told him.

He smiled at her, reaching up to touch her hand on his shoulder in thanks.

~8~

"Now my darling girl," Ilayda smiled as she sat in the music room of the castle, Rose on her lap, her arms encircling her daughter as they spoke, "Do you remember what mother told you about how she sings you to sleep at night?"

Rose nodded, "That there's magic in it," she smiled, "That a song is magical and that, one day, you'd teach me how to sing people to sleep too."

"I did not quite say that," Ilayda hummed a small laugh, "I do believe I stated that I would teach you to control magic into music and song when you were ready," she may have told her daughter there was magic in her lullabies out of a wistfulness that it was true. She used to have magic, before she left the sea, but since being cut off from it, her magic had been cut off too. They hadn't expected their daughter to inherit the magic regardless of her having lost her own, but it had happened and, just because she was cut from the sea and possessed no magic of her own, it didn't mean she didn't know how it worked or how to help her daughter learn it.

"Oh," Rose sighed, "Yes, that's what you said," Ilayda was silent, waiting for the girl to make the connection. Only a moment later Rose gasped, looking up at her with wide eyes, "AM I ready now mother!?"

Ilayda nodded, "I do believe you are. Your father and I both feel it is time for you to begin your lessons."

"Lessons?" she pouted, "More lessons? I don't like lessons. They're boring. The tutors are boring and…and old and…and…and…not fun."

"And you think that of me?" Ilayda asked, mock-offended, resting a hand on her heart playfully, a side of her that others rarely ever safe, if any but her husband and daughter had seen it.

Sirens were protective of their families, of their children especially and it came about in a different way than humans. While a human could pretend, feign interest, act as though they were unconcerned when really they were calculating the potential threat another had on the children…Sirens were not quite so adept. They became cold and hard, a show of defense, a show of what another would face if they dared harm the child. They showed everyone as a warning to stay away from their offspring or face the one who protected them.

It was often why she appeared so cold and distant, so hard, around other people. She could not trust them. She trusted her husband, yes, always, she trusted his brother, his wife, and their daughter. Beyond that she could not afford to trust anyone. Too often had other humans tried to harm her and her family over the years for her to ever trust other humans that had no loyalty to her or her husband, no close, blood-bound loyalty. Oh the people might swear fealty to her husband, but often they could take that oath and stretch its meaning.

There was a power in words, there were meanings to words that could be twisted to mean something else entirely. For instance, the people swore to defend their king with their lives, to keep him safe…that could just as easily mean an enemy holding a knife to his throat…or a siren being let into his bedchamber. The people could, at any moment, decide that she was a threat to the king, a danger, she was, after all, a dark creature, one who had killed many a man and woman before in her time. They had no reason to trust her, to trust that she did love her husband with all her hardened heart, to trust that she would never harm him. The people were so…close-minded, they saw her as a threat, as what she was, a siren, and yet didn't bother to truly LEARN about them. They heard tales of how evil and dangerous, how tricky and cunning, Sirens were and believed that without fail. But try to explain that once a Siren let someone into their heart they would always be protected and treasured above anything else, especially a mate, and they went deaf or cried lies.

She knew what it was though, humans were just eager to have a reason to want her cast away. They hated the thought of a half-blood heir to the throne, the thought of a creature being their queen more than they wished to honor their king and get to know her. She had to tread carefully around his people, despite his reassurances that she was safe, that no one would dare harm her. The people could argue they were merely upholding their solemn vow to protect and defend him if they tried to kill her.

So she had to protect herself, she had to be on guard at all times. She had to test her food before she ate it, sniff her wine before she drank it, carry a knife when she walked anywhere alone as, since she had left the sea, the sea and its magic had left her, forcing her to give up her magic to be with her love. And if her daughter was there…there was no helping the stone cold mask that settled upon her face around others. She HAD to be on guard, she could not relax her attention for even a moment lest a human attack her or her child. It was…tiring, to do so, but she would not risk her child's life, not even on the promises of her husband. He was the king, yes, he could punish any who dared attack, make laws and edicts to protect her…but he could not physically control his people. People broke the law all the time, they suffered jailings and executions for their actions, but they still attempted the actions in the first place.

There was truly no reassurance her husband could give her, short of a deal with the Dark One, an iron clad agreement that no harm could ever befall her or her child and even then…she would not put it past the imp to have some loophole he would exploit later.

No, it feel to her to guard and protect her family and that was what she would do, whether the people thought her hard and distant, a vicious cruel creature or not. If it kept her child safe, she would do anything.

"No mummy!" Rose gasped, reaching out to pull her hand off her heart, pulling Ilayda's thoughts back to the present, "I don't think that at all!"

"Then we shall have not a problem then," she smiled at her daughter, "Our lessons shall be far different than the others. Our lessons shall be about magic."

"Siren magic?" Rose's eyes grew wide at that.

"Yes," Ilayda nodded, "Siren magic, musical enchantments, magical instruments…"

"That's wrong," Rose shook her head, "It's magical enchantments and musical instruments…"

"Not to a Siren," Ilayda cut in gently, placing her daughter's hand on her throat, "THIS is your musical instrument, this is what filters your magic, it infuses your music with magic, it is both."

"Oh."

She chuckled gently at that, "Now, how shall we begin?" she murmured rhetorically, already knowing how she would want to begin.

But Rose mistook her words for an actual question, "I know!" she beamed, wiggling till her mother set her down and ran to the other end of the music room, to a small chest, hefting the top up and rooting around in it a moment before hurrying back, "With this!" she held up an instrument.

Ilayda blinked as she saw the small wooden pipe in her daughter's hand and reached out to take it, "A...pipe."

"Uh huh," Rose nodded.

"What drew your focus to this?" she began to examine it.

Rose shrugged, "It's small, like me, and it's wood, and wood is from trees and trees are plants and so are roses, like me."

Ilayda shook her head at that, amused, before setting the pipe to the side, "Then I shall teach you the pipe as your first instrument, however," she held up a hand to quiet her daughter, "That is not your prime instrument."

"But it's my favorite."

"I do not doubt that," she agreed, reaching out to take Rose's hands in her own, "But all Sirens possess an instrument that only we can use. Our voices," she reminded her, pressing Rose's hand to her throat once more, "Our voices are the means of our magic, it is what we use to draw up the energy, it is what we used to channel it, and it is the only instrument we can carry with us wherever we go without others becoming suspicious. That will be very important Rose," she squeezed Rose's hands gently, "You must always remember that, if all else fails you, if your pipe is snapped, if your harp's strings are cut, if your fiddle's bow is broken, that you will ALWAYS have your voice. Can you do that? Can you remember this always, your voice is your most powerful weapon."

Rose frowned at that, "Weapon?"

Ilayda let out a small sigh, "Magic comes in many forms, my darling girl, and not all are accepting of those that possess it. Some…some may be fearful where others may be excited…like your cousin, Snow, I am certain she would be most excited to learn you possess magic, to show her your skills in it when you are ready."

"But other people," Rose tried to work it out, "Other people won't like it?"

"I am sorry," Ilayda murmured, not having wanted to tell her daughter about that, but it had slipped out, and…there was never a good time to discuss something like this, the younger though, the younger she was the more time she would have to understand and learn, "Some will not."

"Why?"

"I know not," she answered, "Some will fear those that use their magic for harm. Others will fear them merely for possessing it, regardless of if it is used for good or evil. There is no way to tell how a person will react. Which is why it is important to remember your voice. If ever someone tries to harm you, which I pray to the goddess Ursula shall never happen to you, you possess within you the power to stop them, to escape, just through this," she poked a gentle finger at her daughter's throat, "Many people will care not if you possess magic or not," she used her finger to lift Rose's chin to look at her, "Your father shall not, nor your cousin, your uncle and aunt, nor I. We will love you always, Rose, magic or not. I merely wish for you to be careful and to understand that if someone tries to hurt you, you are allowed to fight back."

"I don't like fighting," Rose mumbled.

"You know how you beg your father to allow you to learn to use a sword, like your cousin Snow is trying to convince her father to do the same?" she gave Rose an amused look, telling her silently that she was aware of the begging both girls were doing and had no illusions that they'd come up with the attempt together, "This is the same thing, but instead of using a sword, you use your voice. It can be used to attack as much as defend, and not just defend you but those you care about."

"Like Snow?" Rose blinked, "I can use my music to protect her? And you? And father?"

"Exactly," she nodded, "I am going to teach you how to use your voice, use your music, Rose, it will be up to you how you choose to use it after. Understood?"

Rose nodded, "I want to know how to be like you mummy. I want to be able to keep everybody safe."

Ilayda had to smile at that, at the knowledge that her daughter was aware of her efforts. Rose was a clever girl, she knew that her daughter noticed a change in her mother from where she was alone with her or her father, to when she was surrounded by others. She was thankful the girl realized it was an attempt to keep them all safe than that she didn't care at all.

That would be the worst thing, for a siren to be told she didn't care for her family at all.

"Then, shall we begin?"

Rose nodded, determined and focused.

~8~

Ethan would have laughed at how the roles had reversed from him being the one to watch their daughter with his wife sneaking up on him to him being the one walking up to her as she watched Rose. He would have laughed…had it not been for the frown upon his wife's face.

He came up to her, winding an arm around her waist to look over her shoulder at their girl. She was outside again, sitting on the ground, her back to one of the walls (and he really would have to speak to her about not soiling her gowns like that) though this time there was no mouse in sight. Instead, she was frowning, just as her mother was, though with a more scrunched face as if she were trying to work something out. And indeed she had to be, he made that exact same face when something was irritating him that he was trying to work out on his own without asking for help. Leopold often made fun of him for it, pointing out that a king could not have that expression when he was trying to help a subject or debate with his advisers. It was easier now, of course, he only had one adviser he actually listened to and spoke at length with enough to make that face, his wife. He was sure that was another strike against him in the eyes of his people. Oh he had a council, he did listen to them, but not as much, nor did he speak to them as much, as they would like, something he was sure had trickled down to the people as well.

Still, he couldn't help but look as Rose, watching her, hoping to see what was confusing her so much, perhaps some hint that would tell him why his wife looked concerned without needing to ask her. Despite being married for years now, his wife was still hesitant to discuss her emotions in such an open area as the hall they were standing in. He was certain whatever conversation was coming would be one that would best be discussed behind closed doors, but if it was truly bothering her enough that she was wearing her emotions on her face instead of the mask he knew she wore when they were somewhere others roamed, it would undoubtedly happen here regardless of desires.

Rose let out a huff and rubbed her neck, her throat, a moment before opening her mouth and singing a sort of scale, the girl wincing as she hit a higher note, her voice cracking. She let out a frustrated groan, and started to pluck at the grass around her, pouting.

"What troubles you my love?" he murmured in his wife's ear, hearing her sigh at their daughter's actions. He had been away the last week, settling a matter in the outer villages. What should have only lasted a day had taken three and a half and by the time it was resolved, it was too late to travel. But he was back now and excited to see his girls again, though he had hoped for more bright expressions than the ones they were wearing now.

"She struggles," Iladya admitted quietly, "Rose struggles with her music."

"That is normal," he waved it off, "She is young and you only just began your lessons and…"

"I taught her a basic scale," she looked at her husband, "She has been practicing it a week now, yet there is no improvement," she glanced back at Rose, frowning, "It should not be this difficult."

"It is as I always say, my love, a first lesson does not master make."

"She is half-siren, though."

"She is also half human."

"You do not understand," she turned to him.

He trailed his hands from her upper arms to her hands, squeezing them, "Then explain it to me."

She nearly smiled at that, at how patient he was with her when she was frustrated or trying to sort her emotions. She was not used to…showing them much. Sirens could tell the mood of another merely by the sounds they made, their intonations, their pitch and volume and other little nuances when they simply spoke. Humans were not quite so keen.

"It should not take this long," she expressed, "As a siren, she should be more attuned to this, more…adept. This should be as natural as breathing to her and do not say she is half human," she added quickly, seeing him open his mouth, "Even as a human it should not take her this long to master a single scale," she glanced over at their daughter, the girl now starting to play with the grass as well, the mouse from the other day examining the pieces she'd tossed away in a search for a piece she was pleased with.

"Ilayda…"

"No," she looked back at him, "I…hear trembles in her voice," she continued, "It is not as strong as it should be, both by human and siren standards. She struggles and she should not. It is truly a simple scale, the simplest, I fear for what it may mean."

Ethan frowned at that, listening intently to his wife's words, knowing that she often said more than she realized with what she held back on or what she repeated to him, not knowing or willing to voice other fears aloud, so it was left to him to interpret her fears himself. He was fairly certain he understood what was bothering her this time.

"You fear that if she continues to struggle, that she may never be able to master her magic," he spoke quietly, understanding what was frustrating and worrisome about it all. Their daughter wasn't just human or siren but both, something, as far as they knew, had never been before. There was not telling if the human in her would ever be able to control the siren magic, or how the siren magic would even develop or affect her being half human. It was complicated and there was little they knew of such a situation to know what to do or what to expect.

Ilayda let out a breath, looking down, "I fear she may never be able to control it if she cannot control her voice for a simple scale."

He nodded slowly at that, "Her magic will grow stronger as she grows older," he realized, thinking about things they had discussed when Rose had been younger, "And if it grows stronger, but her control and mastery does not grow at the same time…"

"I will _not_ see our daughter targeted by the people for things she cannot control," she warned her husband.

And that was the crux in it, wasn't it? If Rose was struggling to learn the methods that would help her control her magic while it was still relatively weak, what would it mean when she was older and her magic was that much stronger? She barely had control of it now, and it was more that her magic was too weak to truly do any damage, she didn't have need of control of it, she didn't control it consciously, it was truly mere luck that nothing more had happened so far. But in the future, that would not hold true.

They both knew what would happen the moment Rose lost control of her magic, or if her magic and music overpowered her. And if someone else was around that couldn't defend themselves, if someone else was harmed…it would be outrage among the people. Depending on how hurt someone could be…it could be truly bad. Worse yet, if Rose proved a danger to others…he doubted his brother would take Rose in around his own daughter and risk Snow's safety despite whether or not Snow believed her cousin would not hurt her, despite Rose not wanting to harm her cousin. He knew Leopold and Eva were struggling to have a second child, Leopold would not risk his child's life…the same as HE would not risk Rose's life, not for anything, not even for magic.

He knew things were fragile among his people right now, all that kept his wife and daughter safe was that they posed no threat to the people, they had harmed no one, the people had no reason or evidence to base any attack or accusation on. But it would change in an instant the moment Rose's powers grew too strong.

"I will continue to teach her," Ilayda spoke quietly, looking back at their daughter once more, the girl seeming to examine two different pieces of grass intently, "I will…I will spend more time with her, as much as we can spare towards her practice. And…hope," she hated that word, hope was such a dangerous thing, "Hope that she shall be able to conquer this."

"Ilayda," he murmured, tugging her back as his wife began to step away from him, turning her to face him, "I do not wish to say this, I would rather you rip my tongue out than say this," Ilayda frowned at his choice of words, he only ever used such 'dark' terms when he was truly being serious about something with her, "But…" he swallowed hard, "We may need to consider…other…options."

"Other options?" she tilted her head.

"If we cannot teach her control," he began, "There must be other ways to control her magic itself, some totem to dampen it, some charm to nullify her voice, or…"

"Or?"

"Or some way to remove her magic entirely."

Ilayda tensed at that, "I would not see that happen."

"Nor would I," he squeezed her hands, "Not ever, never," he swore to her, just how much he did NOT want that last one to come to be, "We must consider all options though, as…as rulers, as parents, we cannot afford not to."

Ilayda nodded slowly, her lips pursed at the mere thought of it coming to any of those options, "Come," she tugged his hand this time, "I shall tell you all I know of my magic, of my thoughts on Rose's, and we shall look into what may help her control her magic."

He lifted her hand to his lips, kissing it in reassurance, before they turned to leave down the hall, discussing exactly how Siren magic worked so they might think of all the possibilities that could help their daughter control her magic.

But, in leaving when they had, neither saw Rose select a blade of grass and place it between her thumbs, blowing through it to create a shrill whistle and beaming in utter joy when the mouse beside her started to run in circles at random, stopping only when she stopped her whistling.

Why couldn't her mother teach her to use instruments first? It was SO much easier than using her voice. She nodded to herself and got up, blinking a bit as she got dizzy for a moment, staring to walk away, yawning as she felt suddenly tired, but searching for her mother. She had to tell her that she'd done it, used her magic, all on her own! Well, with a bit of grass for help. And maybe that was it, maybe the instruments helped her, maybe her voice, because she wasn't all-Siren, wasn't as strong as it should be, but she'd been able to get the mouse to run! And if she could do that with grass, maybe other instruments would help!

Maybe she'd be able to learn the pipe now!

A/N: I AM SO EXCITED! ^-^ Lol, not really to do with this story per say but what this chapter means as a whole for my FF in general. This chapter has put me over the edge to 10 MILLION words archived! :D I squealed posting this chapter because of that :') I never thought I'd hit 1 million let alone 10 and I'm just really excited to hit that mile marker :)

Getting back to the chapter though...I wanted to sort of show that Piper's unique through her bloodline but also that the mixing of the blood/species sort of went against her at first. Sirens shouldn't be as dependent on instruments as she is, but she's not full Siren, she needs something to channel her magic instead of just her voice. She can use her voice now, if she needs to, but it's easier for her to use her pipe and it's taken her a very long time to get to a point where actually singing or using her voice is powerful. Humming a little here and there might work for a short while, with an animal or two, but it took her quite a while to be able to use her voice. The first attempt does not a master make after all ;)

Some notes on reviews...

True, he could have frozen Hook :) I think he likes tormenting Hook with how he 'fails' in certain regards, how he's not clever or cunning because he didn't see the trap and also sort of gloating, as villains do, about his plans and the fact that Hook walked right into the trap lol :)

Piper's told Gold that she ripped Hook's heart out, but not Henry ;)

We'll definitely get a chapter of the attempt to remove Piper's magic yup, I can say it'll be nearer the second half of the season where we'll see it ;) I like to think that Neal does have magic he hasn't shown yet :) I like the idea that if true love creates magic then true love children have magic :) But that might just be my sort of lingering Robin/Regina favoring there, if Roland doesn't have magic then Robin and Marian weren't really true loves. And, as they try to say that true love is rare in the show (despite like every other couple somehow having it), it would make sense and be refreshing that a sort of iconic couple was just deeply in love but not on a true love level :) It might give hope to others that you don't need true love to be simply happy and IN love sort of thing :) I plan for Emma to be reminded of Neal and how she didn't mourn him yup, but I won't say if it's in this story or next season though ;) But Emma will talk to Henry about Hook yup :) I sort of feel on the fence about Charming and his remark. He's sort of like Ethan here, as a ruler he HAS to consider that things won't always work and what he knows from all angles, not just what he wants to happen or what he hopes will happen. He's sort of trying to be the voice of reason, in his own way, because he thinks Snow is biased for Piper, despite it being that he really doesn't know much about Sirens at all ;) He might end up with some common sense, but there may be a few events coming that will backtrack him a little, but then have the point rammed home to him lol ;) I really do love the picture, it's wonderful :')

Oh there's still plenty of betrayals to come };)


	17. Fall

Fall

It had happened, the Spell of Shattered Sight had been initiated, and all of Storybrooke was in jeopardy of it falling on them, in mere…hours. They could see it, from every part of the town it was visible, a dark purple cloud in the sky, bits of mirror shards in it reflecting off the lingering light that hadn't been blocked by the spell. It was there, the mirror of the Snow Queen had shattered, and it was coming.

"Belle was right," Elsa sighed as she handed the binoculars she'd been looking at the curse through to Mary Margaret, a small group of them gathered in the clock tower, looking out at the dark clouds approaching in the distance, "My aunt it actually doing this."

"The Spell of Shattered Sight," Mary Margaret whispered, slowly lowering the binoculars, handing them to Emma to look out, glancing at Piper who was looking out with a guarded expression on her face. She wanted to reach out to her cousin, to take her and as she was holding David's, but Piper was too far away, standing beside Henry, Regina and Hook on the other side of herself with Emma and Elsa before her. She'd tried to talk to her cousin, to apologize for what she'd said earlier, but Piper wasn't ready to talk and then the ribbons had blocked Emma and Elsa's magic, and they'd seen the curse and it was all a mess.

"We open the mines and the vault," David decided, "We take shelter there."

Piper scoffed, "Magic of this sort can as easily pass through walls as sound can."

Regina reached out and took the binoculars as Emma handed them to her, "It's started," she confirmed.

"How long?" Hook called, making Piper glance at him, barely holding back her smirk as she heard his song…missing a single note, and knew what that meant.

"By sundown," Regina answered, lowering the binoculars, "By sundown, everyone in this town will start tearing each other apart."

Piper would have smirked at that, would have likely commented that it was HER kind of town, that there had been a town or two to do the same due to her music, but kept silent for the look of fear on Mary Margaret's face, for how Henry tensed beside her.

"Ok," Emma murmured, "The answer is simple. Let's not be in town," she glanced at the others, "Come on, we need to check the ice wall again."

"I shall speak with Rummy, Emma," Piper offered, "See if he might have anything that would assist."

"Thanks," Emma nodded, turning to hurry off with her family, making sure to grab her mother's arm to tug her along so she wouldn't try to corner Piper as they left.

Piper watched them go, waiting a moment before she turned to look out the window, reaching out to pick up the binoculars, lifting them to her eyes to look out at the curse. Her grip on it tightened as she brought them down, her lips pursed, her expression grim for what might be coming. She shook her head, taking a breath and turned to go, she had a few things to discuss with the Dark One.

~8~

Gold looked up from where he was closing a small box to see Piper enter the shop, "Pip," he smiled at her.

"It appears someone has taken the bilge rat's heart," she remarked, making her way towards the counter, resting her hands on it as she looked at him.

"Did they?" he couldn't have kept the smirk off his face if he tried when he saw how her eyes sparkled at the fact.

"Oh yes," she nodded, "And he's utterly miserable about it," it was easy to tell if you looked, if you knew what to look for, and she had seen it, the exact same looks on his face when she'd ripped his heart out in the Enchanted Forest, "You would not happen to know to whom I should extend my deepest thanks?"

"I HAD hoped for this to be more of a surprise," Gold turned the box in his hands around to face her, opening the lid to reveal Hook's heart lying there.

"It is difficult to hide the missing of a heart from someone who can hear when it is not there," Piper mused, reaching out to pick it up, shaking her head as she eyed it, "I desire very much to crush it to dust," she murmured, yet she made no move to do it, "Though I assume you took it for a reason?"

He nodded, "The Snow Queen came to me, as I predicted she would," Piper nodded along at that, he had told her as much, that there was some sort of deal to be made with the woman that would help him in his quest with the dagger, she had wanted something from him and he had wanted information about that hat as, apparently, the Snow Queen had possessed it for some time before he had gotten it. It appeared the woman had given him exactly the information he needed, "We made a deal, and her end of the bargain was the revelation that, to cleave myself from the dagger, I would require the heart of someone that knew me before I became the Dark One."

"Hook," she set down the heart, understanding.

"Exactly."

"And what was your end of the bargain?"

"The return of three magical ribbons," he told her, reaching out to place his hands on hers on the counter, looking into her eyes, holding contact with them as he spoke, wanting her to know he was not lying at all in what he was about to say, "Ribbons that would both tie Emma and Elsa's magic to hers, but also make them immune to the Shattered Sight."

Piper inhaled deeply at that, processing what he'd said, her hands curling into fists under his hands but she made no move to pull away, "And?"

He let out a gentle breath at that, at her trust in him, at how she was letting him explain and truly trusting that he had another reason for doing it, for letting that happen, "I knew that if she intended to enact her curse, Emma and Elsa would be the only two in the town capable of ending it. They would be the only two that could confront the Snow Queen without fear of her harming them, truly harming them. And they would not give up until they defeated the spell and saved the town."

Piper's lips pursed, "She would not have cast the curse until she had the ribbons."

"No," he told her truthfully, "She would not give me knowledge of the hat without the ribbons."

Piper looked down a moment, "You gave her the insurance she needed to cast this curse, Emma is protected but…"

"Your family will be safe as well," he squeezed her hands, "I have sworn to you Pip, I would not do anything that would ever truly harm your family. Emma will not allow anything, any harm, to befall her parents, brother or son, I will allow no harm to befall you. And this town?" he shook his head, "The chances of any of the people deciding to target them is minute, they are the beloved rulers, the greatest of heroes, parents of the Savior," he rolled his eyes, "Their darkness is nothing compared to Regina's and we both know, with Henry here, she would take extreme precautions to keep herself from those she might harm."

Piper looked up at him again, "You considered all this first?"

"Always," he nodded, letting her know he'd thought it through to the last detail, "I have faith that Miss Swan will end this curse, as this time she shall be fighting not just for her son but her entire family."

Piper nodded slowly, "I have faith in Emma as well," she admitted, "With or without her magic, she is a formidable opponent to those that would not harm her."

She knew that better than most, her mother knew it better than most, Sirens trusted hardly anyone, save family or the rare few they allowed into their hearts. It kept them protected from other harms, but…it could be truly devastating. Because they trusted their families so deeply, they would not think to harm them. To turn on them, the family would have to betray them first. An individual Siren hardly ever saw it coming, they would not dare harm their family, they would not fight at first, would hardly understand what was happening till it was over and by then the harm had already been done to THEM.

But the point was she could understand, the Snow Queen would not harm Emma, which would give Emma the freedom to attack the Snow Queen first and stop her.

"There is something else that troubles you though," Gold gently rubbed her curled hands, relaxing them so he could lock his fingers with hers, "What is it?"

Piper looked at him, allowing him to see a true…fear…in her eyes.

"Pip…"

"The spell," she began, not one to admit something like this easily, no matter if it was to her true love, "I did not think it would affect me. I thought it merely affected the mind and that my magic would protect me. But I was wrong…it affects so much more and it DOES affect me as well. If my eyes were any indication…I would assume that, under the full effects of the spell…"

"It would make you as though a full-blooded Siren," Gold finished for her, understanding her concern and alarm, "Yes."

She closed her eyes at the confirmation, not quite wincing, but near enough that Gold released one of her hands, making her look up at him once more but he merely placed a small bottle on the counter.

She frowned at it, but reached out to take it, "This is…"

"A sleeping potion," he answered, "Not a sleeping curse, but a potent potion," he explained, "Take this before the curse hits and you should sleep through all of it, I would stand guard over you, of course," he squeezed the hand he was still holding, "I wanted to be prepared, if the curse occurred, find some way to keep it from affecting you."

Piper's gaze flicked back to him, "Many thanks," she murmured, slipping it into the pocket of her jacket, the same one she had worn to the docks when they'd gotten Hook to help assimilate the Sorcerer's Apprentice into the hat.

Gold lifted her hand to his lips, "I promise you Pip, the Snow Queen will fail."

She nodded at that, hoping the same, but swallowed hard at the thought of what would happen. She had never been affected by a curse as powerful as this one, had never had to fear for herself due to her magic often protecting her. But this? A full-blooded Siren running around a town full of people she would rather see gone on a good, non-cursed day? And having no control over herself or what she said or did? And with what Mary Margaret had said to her only days ago, with how hurt she felt over it all...what would the curse drive her to do to her family? What would it drive them to do to her? They would not hold back in attacking her, for many things, for letting the Dark Curse happen, for not informing her cousin she was alive, for becoming what she was, for loving the Dark One...there were SO many things they would look at her with hatred for and if she was like a full-blooded Siren then, she would lash out right back and far more powerfully...

Her family could be in danger because of her.

She curled her fingers around the bottle in her pocket, shaking her head at that thought, forcing herself to remember Gold had understood her fears, had known without her saying what she was frightened of, and had prepared a way to keep her safe from others and them safe from her. She just hoped that the curse could be stopped before then, spending the time trapped in the Burning Room was not what she'd rather be doing while her family was still out there and affected by the curse.

~8~

Gold grinned as he sat on the docks, looking out at the sea where the Snow Queens curse had reached and created a barrier even there, waiting for Hook as he'd summoned the man there to go over their next step in his plan.

"No fleeing by boat then," Hook muttered as he looked out at the sea.

"This Snow Queen is good, isn't she?" Gold mused, even if he wanted the woman to fail, even he could admit she was thorough. He glanced up at Hook and patted the bench next to him, "Sit, lad. Don't forget where your heart lies," he added when Hook hesitated, but finally moved to do it, "Now I have a job for you. You remember how this works," he placed the small metal bucket sculpture on the bench between them.

"The hat?!" Hook gasped, "Not Emma…"

"No, no," Gold grinned, "Not her. I have a different target in mind. Granny's Diner is being converted into a temporary hive for the vilest of creatures, the pious little fleas."

"Pious?" Hook frowned a moment, "The fairies?"

And indeed it was, he and Piper had been going over what they should do, some other plans and failsafes that would ensure that Mary Margaret, Emma, their family were safe if the curse were to hit, when they'd been informed that Belle had found something in the library, a way to create a countercurse to the Shattered Sight. Which had been a relief to Piper to know one even existed. She had gone there to assist her cousin while he went to get the next step in his dagger plot. The fairies had been called in by Emma to help Belle in creating the countercurse, all of them gathered in Grannies at that very moment, which was convenient for him, as that was JUST what he needed next.

Power for the hat.

And, whether the curse happened or not, there would be so much chaos no one would notice if they disappeared for the time being.

"Just like any flying pests," Gold sneered, truly disliking them, "If you wanna eliminate the infestation, it's important to get them all. Doing so will infuse this hat," he turned and pulled his dagger out that Piper had given him for the moment to conjure the hat with, he waved it over the metal structure, pulling the hat out of it to rest between them. He snapped his fingers and the dagger disappeared, to return to Piper's boot, "With enough power to allow me to cleave myself from the dagger. I would be free of its control, able to do what I wished," he grinned, "Even leave this town with my powers intact. Now will you assist me?"

Hook glared at him, "You have my heart. You know I can't refuse."

"Indeed," Gold chuckled, he just loved to hear the man say it, say he had no choice, that HE had the power, "But here's the rub, dearie, the hat will only take in those that possess magic, which means, if Belle is still within Grannies, she will see you and run to tell the others."

"And what do you want me to do about that?" Hook huffed, "Kill her first? Bloody hell mate, the fairies are working to stop the spell. You seize them you'll be killing the cure. You do this, you condemn the entire town, your own grandson, even your precious fish, to whatever happens!"

Gold seemed bored by his accusations, "As much as I would love for the bookworm to be ended, she has the knowledge of the countercurse. I have no intention of stopping them from creating it."

And he truly didn't. He had hoped that there would be a way to get his information out of the Snow Queen before the curse had been cast and then to kill her and prevent it. She had been a bit more cunning, more eager to see it done than he'd realized, had bided her time to the perfect moment and caught him in a trap of not being able to truly stop her attempts with the mirror. A mistake he would never make again, for now it was putting Piper in danger, the spell was putting her and their families in danger and he was not going to interfere with a way to prevent it. The mirror was being cast in dark magic, it would take light to defeat it, something he would not be able to help with even though he wished to.

"So I need you to stand by and wait to see what becomes of it. If it works, Belle will undoubtedly be the one to distribute it, if it does not, she will have to leave to find cover regardless. You wait till she leaves, and then capture those gnats in that hat," he glanced at Hook to see the man glare at him, his lips pursed, jaw tight, "You can clench your jaw and flash your eyes all you wish, because it doesn't change the fact that we're in this together."

And with that he stood, Hook rising with him, tucking the hat under his arm to follow the Dark One away like a good little puppet.

~8~

Piper rubbed her head as she stood in the back of the library with Mary Margaret, David, Emma, and Regina, all of them speaking quietly about the latest developments. She'd arrived only moments ago to find that Belle and the fairies had no need of Anna, Elsa's sister, any longer, there was no need to use her necklace that Elsa had found again to locate her as Emma had mentioned she and Elsa were trying to do. The necklace itself possessed small bits of mirror dust in it, small shards that, if extracted, could create the countercurse instead of needing Anna, which was lucky as Emma and Elsa had proven useless in finding the woman to begin with.

But apparently, to extract it would mean to destroy the necklace…and Elsa was reluctant to do it.

And now, instead of just taking the necklace and saving the town, they were all debating what to do or not as time ticked away. She was trying though, to understand it in Elsa's terms. If it had been Mary Margaret lost to her, and the only thing she had to find her cousin with was…that ring she wore from David, she would fight tooth and nail to find her cousin first, damn the town. But this was different, if it was Mary Margaret taken, it wouldn't just be her or the town, it would be her or the rest of her family, it would be Emma and Henry and…even David, that would be in danger if she didn't give up the ring.

But that was the thing, she wouldn't give up the ring, because she wouldn't physically be able to, not being what she was, not having the ties to Mary Margaret that she did, ties that, despite the woman's words, were not yet broken. And she was a villain, she would be selfish and choose the life of her cousin over an entire town, if Emma and Henry hadn't been a part of said town. Elsa was trying to be a hero, was calling herself one and on the side of good and all that rubbish and she was making the selfish choice for her sister over saving a town…quite unheroic in her opinion.

"This shouldn't even be a conversation!" Regina hissed to them all quietly, getting as frustrated as Piper felt with this argument, "If we don't get the necklace to the fairies right now, we and all our loved ones will be hit by this vicious spell. It's one woman's life versus a whole town!"

Emma shook her head, "Maybe we just haven't found an option where we don't have to lose anyone."

Mary Margaret smiled at her daughter, "Mmm, you're talking like a hero."

"And you are thinking like one, Snow," Piper cut in, really starting to get frustrated with this, it wasn't even about heroes or villains, it was about welfare, and all she could think of was kingdoms. If this had been happening in the Enchanted Forest, it would fall to the king and queen to decide what to do…and their top priority had to be their people, "This is exactly why I would tell you in the past you were not fit to rule Snow White. Like it or not, you are a princess, a queen first and above a hero. And that requires you to make the difficult decisions for the good of your kingdom, or in this case the town. What would you do if this were your kingdom, as mayor it is as good as. You have a curse bearing down on you, an imminent threat that will most certainly cause unparalleled death and destruction to everyone around you, it is coming, and it _will_ happen if you do not make a choice. How would you explain this to all the people depending on you to survive and protect them as their Queen?"

Emma let out a whistle at that, "Whoa…"

She was thanking every deity she knew that she hadn't been raised to have to think like that, because clearly that lecture had come from years of princess training or something.

"You're right," Mary Margaret whispered, swallowing hard, "You're right. It's…it's not a good choice, and it's difficult, and it's terrible but…we need to do what's best for the most people. We need to give this town its best chance."

David nodded, "I'm so sorry," he told Emma, "But we have to let the fairies destroy that necklace."

Emma sighed but nodded, moving to step past them to speak to Elsa quietly about what the decision was.

"This can't be easy," David murmured.

"Being the one to make the decisions other will hate you for never is," Piper told them.

Mary Margaret glanced at her, "Rose…" she began, but Emma was already back.

"I got it," she nodded, holding up the small pouch that Emma had been holding the necklace she had found at the ice wall in, "Let's go."

The small group hurried out of the library, dashing down the road to Grannies and bursting in, Emma hurrying towards where the Blue Fairy and Belle were going over the countercurse.

"The necklace!" Belle gasped, spotting them, "Do you have it?"

"It's right here," Emma held out the pouch.

The Blue Fairy quickly took the pouch and turned it over, frowning when something other than a necklace fell out of it, "It's pebbles from the mine."

"What?!"

"Where is it?" Mary Margaret shook her head.

"She tricked us so she can use it," Regina realized, "To keep tracking down her damn sister! I should know better than to trust blondes by now."

" _I_ always uphold my end of a bargain," Piper spoke, starting to feel defensive.

"We should go back and get it," Emma turned to go do just htat.

"No," Belle called out, shaking her head solemnly, "It's too late."

"Too late?" Mary Margaret gaped, "Already?!"

"By the time you get back here, yes. Without Anna being here physically, there's no way to make a counterspell in time."

Regina scoffed at that, "Time for a hope speech? Virtues of blind faith?"

"Well, it seems Elsa's blind faith is exactly what's screwing us right now!" Mary Margaret huffed, actually seeming to realize how screwed over they actually were.

"Coming from you, that's just terrifying," Regina muttered.

"Well, I'm not giving up," Emma determined, "I know she's down in the mines looking for Anna. I'm gonna go help Elsa find her."

David sighed, "Well, then go, because right now that's our only shot."

"David," Mary Margaret turned to her husband, "Neal…"

He nodded, "We need to go," he looked at Regina and Piper, at the fairies, "If this…if Emma can't find Anna or get here in time, we need to take precautions."

"Agreed," Regina nodded, hurrying out after them, Mary Margaret glancing back at Piper regretfully, having wanted to speak to her, but Piper nodded her on.

Piper let out a small breath, looking around at the fairies frantically working, and to the door, shifting a moment before she inhaled and strode out, there was a precaution she needed to see to as well.

~8~

"Piper!" a small, ginger boy cheered as he opened the door to the workshop his father owned, "Papa, Piper is here!" he called.

Piper looked up, nodding at the old man that entered the room from the back, "Gepetto."

"Princess," he smiled at her, though it was tense, as though sensing she wouldn't be there if it wasn't serious, "Pinocchio, my boy, why don't you fetch the Princess what you were working on for her."

Piper blinked at that, "Something for me?"

"Yes," Gepetto chuckled, gesturing her inside the shop, "He has been looking forward to his 'fairy godmother' coming to see him so that he could give her a gift."

"You did not have to tell him I was any such thing, you know."

"I know," he nodded, "But you cared for my son for 28 years when I could not. I will never be able to repay you for that. And if I can make sure my boy understands you are important in his life, that will be a small step towards it."

"My thanks," she swallowed hard, forcing a smile when Aug…Pinocchio ran back.

"Here it is!" the boy grinned widely, Piper crouching down to see what he had for her, it was a small box, simple, but with a rose carved onto the top of it.

"It is beautiful," she told the boy.

"Open it!" he was nearly bouncing on his toes, "Open it!"

"Manners, my boy," Gepetto scolded lightly, but Piper was already opening it.

Her breath caught when a gentle little song began to play out of it, it was a music box, simple, but it wasn't that that brought a tear to her eye…but the song playing, "The tune…"

It was the lullaby she used to hum to August when he couldn't fall asleep, the lullaby she would hum when he was in pain from the wood trying to consume him.

"He hums it sometimes," Gepetto offered, "I hear him. I tried to recreate it for him, but he insisted this be for you."

"I love it, Pinocchio, thank you, truly," she blinked, looking at the little boy grinning up at her, trying to hold back her tears, she could not be distracted, not now, not when time might be of the essence, "And I thank you, Gepetto," she added, standing, "It is a lovely piece, I shall treasure it always. But I am afraid that is not why I came…"

"Yes," Gepetto reached out, putting his hand on Pinocchio's shoulder, tugging him closer, "The curse…the one in the sky, the one that sparkles…"

"It is called the Shattered Sight Spell," she explained, "It is a dark curse that infections a person's soul, causes them to become their darkest self, to see and think and do the worst things."

"Is there no way to stop it?" he breathed.

"Emma is attempting to at the moment, but…it appears it may hit before she has accomplished her task of preventing it," she was honest, not wanting to scare them, but knowing they needed to know, "She may yet break it once it has settled, but it seems the town shall be affected by it," she took a breath, "Which is why I have come," she pulled a small bottle out of her pocket, "This is a sleeping potion, not a sleeping curse," she added, mimicking Gold's words, "It will put you and Pinocchio to sleep for the duration of the curse. If you find somewhere safe to hide, you will be able to sleep through its effects without disruption or memory of exposure," she looked around, "Your shop is small and you are well liked. I see no reason for anyone to seek you out, you should be safe if you remain inside, and you shall remain safe from each other if you sleep."

Gepetto reached out and took the potion, looking at her with tears in his eyes, "Thank you, Princess."

She looked down when she felt Pinocchio run to her and hug her legs, "Thank you princess."

"You need never call me 'princess,' Pinocchio," Piper allowed herself to brush her hand through his hair once before she looked at Gepetto and nodded, turning to step out of the shop.

She closed the door behind her and rested against it, closing her eyes a moment as she inhaled deeply. There were two parts to her giving Gepetto the potion for him and A…Pinocchio. The first was her own fear…Gepetto, for many reasons, could likely seek her out, hating her for keeping his son away from him (in his eyes), for leading to the boy's death, for corrupting him as he grew, for so many other things. And if he found her awake, she would likely fight back and not care if she harmed him. If he found her asleep, he would be facing down the Dark One in order to get to her and she didn't doubt Gold would kill anyone who dared try that.

The other part though was love, she loved Pinocchio, as much as it hurt to look at him and see him, see her son, but have him look at her with no memory of the life they had…as much as that hurt, she still cared for him, she still wanted him safe. He was still her son in her heart and so long as he remained there he would always be safe…

Her eyes snapped open as a thought hit her, a thought that left her inwardly cursing for being so foolish as to not have realized it before.

With that thought in mind she took off down the road, she had to find Gold.

~8~

Gold stood outside the diner, across the street as he watched the lights inside the facility flickering as the hat in Hook's possession sucked every single fairy into it, storing their magic away. He smirked as he watched, through the windows, as Hook sucked up the Blue Fairy herself, chuckling darkly to himself as it happened. It was too late to create the countercurse, the spell was upon them, in the next few minutes it would be raining down on them all.

Even if Emma and Elsa managed to find Anna and get her to the fairies in the next few seconds it still wouldn't be enough time. Belle had realized that only a few minutes ago and hurried out of the diner to find sanctuary, much like the other residents of the town were doing at that very moment, save himself. He was going to get the hat back and return to the shop where he and Piper had agreed to meet so she could take the potion and he could protect her while Emma saw to the town.

He stepped across the street, approaching the diner, not caring to look before he crossed as no one was on the road with the curse so near, reaching it just as Hook strode out of it, the hat firmly clutched in his hands.

"Is it done?"

Hook glared, "You should know, you were watching," he shoved the hat into Gold's possession, "Now that it's settled, are we done?"

"No, no," he shook his head, "I'm not gonna give up control of you just yet, not until I have everything I need."

"What's left?"

He smirked, "Besides letting Pip have a go at this?" he gestured at Hook before patting his heart, "That's my concern, not yours. But by morning, all should be complete, including your life. Now run along, dearie, and enjoy your last day in this or any land."

He grinned, watching as Hook strode away, knowing the man was heading for the sheriff's station where, if whispers were to be believed, the Charmings were barricading themselves with their daughter on guard if all else failed.

He looked up the road, seeing Emma and Elsa bursting out of the library, and waved his hand, causing him to disappear in a swirl of red smoke, back to his shop.

~8~

"Snow!" Piper shouted as she ran into the sheriff's station, hearing her cousin's song from within. She had been on her way to Gold's shop, but heard Snow and just…had to see her one more time.

"Rose!" Mary Margaret gasped, turning from where she and David were quietly talking in front of the jail cells, and plowing into her cousin, hugging her tightly whether Piper wanted to or not, "Rose, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for what I said, I didn't mean it. I mean…I thought I did, and I guess I did, but Rose," she pulled away, tears in her eyes, "I don't mean it now. I won't ever mean it again. Because I do trust you, I do, and…and I trust Gold with our family. If you trust him, then I do, for as long as you do I will, I promise and…"

"Snow," Piper cut in, reaching up to touch her cousin's cheek, "My thanks," she whispered, "But you shall forgive me if I request we speak later and you say this again AFTER the imminent curse has been broken?"

Mary Margaret laughed at that sniffling, "It means you're willing to talk to me after, then yes, of course," she took Piper's hand, "If we're…if we're both…"

"We shall live, Snow," Piper promised her, "We shall see the end of the curse, whole and hale."

"I hope so."

"I know we shall."

But Mary Margaret shook her head, "Rose…this curse…it's going to be bad, worse than…than even Regina's. What it'll turn us into…"

"I know," she cut in gently, "And that is the very reason I think we shall be safe."

Mary Margaret frowned at that, "I don't understand. It's not a good thing."

"Perhaps not for a hero," Piper mused, before shaking her head, "Do you trust me Snow, truly?"

"Yes," she answered without hesitation, "I do."

"Then trust me that this curse will be trivial in the end," she glanced out the window as the lights began to flicker, "I must away…"

"Yes, yes, go!" Mary Margaret urged her on, "I do trust you, Rose, and I love you, you're my sister in every way that counts, but I don't want you near me when this curse hits. I don't…I don't want to hurt you again," she blinked back her tears.

"I know," Piper repeated, "And I do not want you hurt either."

Mary Margaret could only frown as she saw her cousin smile at that before she gave a nod and disappeared out the door, moments before Emma came running in with Elsa and two others…

~8~

"Pip!" Gold exclaimed as she burst into the shop, "We need to be quick," he moved towards her, "The spell will be here in moments and…"

"I gave the potion to Pinocchio," she cut in.

"What?" he gaped at her, "Piper that was meant to protect you. I only made enough for…"

"I know," Piper nearly laughed, feeling like she was a broken record with how often she was saying those two words, "I was wrong."

"About what?" he shook his head, not understanding.

She just stepped closer to him, "I was wrong about this curse, about…about what it would turn me into."

"We know what it would do to you, Pip," he countered, "It will release every bit of Siren in you. It would be as though you weren't human at all but just a Siren."

"Yes," she nodded, "Do you not see? Perhaps that is exactly what needs to happen."

"Pip…"

"Rummy," she reached up to touch his cheek, silencing him with that mere touch, "How do you think a Siren would react to this curse?"

Gold frowned at that a moment, before his eyes widened, his expression morphing quickly to concern as he shook his head, "You don't need to do this Piper."

"I rather think I do," she tried to smile, tried to put on the brave face she had with her cousin, but the fear was still there, evident in how her voice cracked in the last word. Because as much as she could think one thing would happen…another just as easily could. This would be…one of the most extreme gambles she would ever take, to release every single dark part of her hardened heart, to allow the siren she always pushed down to rise to the surface, to consume her thoughts and mind and magic…she was truly scared of what it would mean…but, as much as she tried to stamp it down, there was a hope that her suspicions would be correct.

"If you wish to…be the hero in this Piper, I will stand beside you, always," he took her hand, pressing a kiss to it, "Light or dark, it matters not to me I would love you still. But I know what this will mean for you," he reached out to touch her cheek as well, "Do not put yourself through this nightmare to prove anything to anyone else, you owe them nothing more than what you have already done."

She nodded, "I am not," she reassured him, "I do this for the same reason I have done everything in the past."

He let out a long breath at that, looking up as the lights flickered to see the clouds above Storybrooke seeming to flash with lightning, knowing it would be mere seconds before the curse truly descended.

"I love you, Piper," he told her.

"And I love you, Rumpelstiltskin," she leaned in and kissed him deeply, feeling a tear escape her eye that he quickly brushed off.

"You are certain about this? I'm immune, as the Dark One, I can still stop you if you wish."

"No," she shook her head, "This…this is something I must do."

"As you wish," he murmured.

She took a deep breath and nodded, turning and leading him out of the shop by the hand she was still holding, stepping out onto the side walk as thunder rumbled out of the clouds above them before opening.

Piper looked up at the sky as the tiniest shards of glass began to rain down, giving Gold's hand one final squeeze before she slowly let it go, taking a single step forward, standing on her own against what was coming. She barely flinched as she felt the shards enter her eyes, though she closed them moments later, bowing her head, feeling it...shifting and twisting inside her, feeling the dark magic spreading, feeling it consuming her, feeling it feed into the Siren within...

She took a deep breath, lifting her head, tilting it to the side as the rippling darkness settled inside her very soul.

"Pip?"

She gently let out her breath and opened her eyes, looking at Gold now standing before her, able to see in his eyes that her own had turned as dark as a true Siren's.

" _Rummy,_ " was all she said, her voice sounding a note deeper, richer before she began to lean to the side, reaching for her boot.

He reached out, stopping her gently, "Allow me," he offered, grinning as he realized, in the single word she'd spoken to him, her suspicions were proving correct, reaching into his inner jacket pocket and pulling out the pipe he had crafted for her, the one that Henry had polished for her, holding it up for her to take.

She tilted her head, reaching out and curling her fingers around it, bringing it to her and tracing a finger along the design of it before her gaze flickered up to him, her lips curling into a dark smirk, "Let the fun and anarchy begin."

A/N: AHHH! ^-^ I'm SO excited for what's coming! I wonder what Piper's plan is...hmmm... }:D

Though, I have to say something in this chapter will come back to bite someone at another point }:)

Some notes on reviews...

Lol, that would be quite a romantic way to go ;) Though with the curse upon them there was probably not enough time to really surprise Piper like that :) If you ever want to write it out though that's cool with me ;) I'm usually very good about allowing people to use my characters or write something from my stories if they mention where it came from ;)

Thank you :) Oh it's going to be rough yup }:) I agree, that was one of my biggest things with the 'going dark' plot, like Neal has the exact same potential as Emma, unless maybe they thought because Zelena was able to use him that he was too pure? But all babies are like that so it doesn't really make sense :/ It could be that they knew Emma would have magic, as the Savior, and Neal doesn't...but I don't think they found that last part out till Rumple told them in his cell when he demanded the child's name from Snow so even then it doesn't make much sense :/ Snow definitely feels guilty and will have to really talk to her cousin when this is all over but she's definitely guilty and feeling it for many things :) Henry will get a few discussions with people yup ;)


	18. Rise of the Piper

A/N: Little warning for some violence to come :( Manhandling, unwanted sort of touching/searching, and wounds :(

~8~

Rise of the Piper

Rose Red tried her best not to yawn as she stumbled down the dark roads of Derba, a random town along her wandering way. Well, all the towns were random when you had no destination. She was just…trying to keep ahead of the Black Knights, keep ahead of the Queen, and keep out of the way of her cousin, while still trying to keep alive. Something that was, admittedly, harder than she thought it would be. It had been…many months since her kingdom had been targeted by the Queen, she honestly couldn't say if it had even been a year or more at this point she'd been so thrown off. The days bled into nights which fed into days over and over and over and she'd stopped keeping track. She was just thinking day by day, one day at a time, trying to find a way to keep afloat, keep living. She honestly wasn't sure why she bothered at times, her mother was dead, her father had his heart crushed to dust, her uncle had been poisoned, her kingdom was burned to the ground, her people massacred, she was as good as dead if the Queen caught her…

She shook her head, no, there was one reason, one reason alone to keep fighting and pushing and surviving, Snow White.

Her cousin was still alive and so long as Snow lived, she would too. It was a small comfort, one that was only for her instead of Snow, she knew, to know her cousin was alive when Snow didn't know the same. But it was a comfort nonetheless that she was not alone in the world, that there was someone out there facing the same odds as her, her family killed, her kingdom taken, hunted by the Queen. She wasn't exactly being hunted, but she didn't doubt that the second Regina found out she was still alive and hadn't fallen during the attack she would be hunted.

She had to keep living, for Snow, because one day she might find her cousin and be with her again, she might be able to find some way to protect her.

She winced at that thought, moving to the side of an alley way that seemed relatively clear and clean, and sunk down the wall at the back of it, rubbing her leg. How would she possibly be able to help keep her cousin safe if she could barely do the same for herself? She'd been in another town, she didn't even know the name of it, it had been raining and she'd been so cold she'd just tried to find somewhere, anywhere, to sleep for the night and found a little barn. She'd snuck in and fallen asleep among the hay…and woken to the sharpest, most stinging pain in her leg that she'd ever felt and spotted an old man brandishing a fire poker at her, shouting and raging at how she'd snuck into his barn and property. She'd just barely gotten out of there before he'd hit her somewhere else with the poker. She'd run, as fast and as far as she could before she'd needed to stop and catch her breath. And from there she'd just…wandered, walked aimlessly, trying to avoid the sharper branches of the forest paths so as not to scratch her legs more and failed miserably at that, earning her more nicks and cuts as she went.

Now she was here, in Derba. She only knew the name of it due to the signage near the pathway to the town. It had been easy to sneak in past the gates, the town was so small and unassuming there wasn't much by way of guards and the gates seemed more to make the town seem more extravagant than it was instead of for actual guarding purposes. Really though, what was the point of guards, they were useless when it counted, either that or her family's guards had been taken in by Regina and let the woman into the castle.

She let out a breath, letting her head fall back against the wall behind her, looking up at the twinkling stars. She and Snow would do that, sometimes, camp outside in the summer months where they could see the stars and talk into the night, going over the names for the constellations, making up their own stories for how they came to be, the tales behind the names.

She closed her eyes at that, holding back the tears that wanted to form, she wasn't with Snow any longer. She was alone, wandering, poor and wretched, there was nothing in her possession save the pipe in her boot and the bag she'd nicked from a rubbish pile and stitched and patched together to hold the small, likely useless, objects she'd collected from the pile as well. She'd managed to trade a few of those objects to rather gullible buyers for a coin or two, enough to be able to afford food here and there, not as much as she would have liked, not enough that would sustain her for much longer. She had nothing left in her bag either but a scrap of three day old bread and a meager handful of berries she'd found on her way to the town. For all she knew they could be poisonous.

For all she knew, she wouldn't care if they happened to be.

She took a breath, not opening her eyes as she settled more in the alley, shifting so her cloak was not resting on her too much as it was summer and the air was still warm. It was late, dark with the moon high above, and she had walked so long and so far, she was exhausted. She just…needed a rest, just a little rest and she'd get up and see if she could find somewhere better to rest. The town was small, and she'd passed a tavern before, perhaps they could do with some entertainment? She did have her pipe, it could prove useful.

She felt bile rise at the thought though. The very last thing she ever wanted to do was use her music to make a profit. Her music was special to her, it was infused with her magic, not that she couldn't control it and keep the magic separate, but it was just so synonymous to her by now. Her music was something she had trained nearly her entire life to perfect, to help her control her magic. The thought of playing it for others, for them to jeer at her and demand songs from her…it felt like it would cheapen the music that was meant to be beautiful. She did not want to have to resort to that, she did not want to have to resort to begging for food or shelter though either…

She would have to make a choice.

But…in the morning, yes, in the morning she would decide what to do, were her last thoughts before she drifted to sleep…

~8~

Rose was jarred awake with a sharp gasp as something grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet, shoving her hard into the wall behind her.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here," a man sneered, tall and thin, with greasy hair pulled back into a sloppy ponytail, his clothing disheveled, his breath reeking of ale.

"Looks ta me like a little chit," a second man beside him leered at her, more portly than the one that had grabbed her and was holding her shoulders into the wall, his fingers digging into her skin strong enough to leave a bruise.

"Nah," the third man, shorter than the other two with a scar above his eye, "Look at her," he scoffed, eyeing her up and down, "Right grimy street rat she is. Diseased no doubt. Too small, even for me. She'll break and scream I'd wager. Not worth it."

Rose was almost thankful that she had journeyed through the forest instead of on the roads if it had made her dirty and disgusting enough for the men to find her unappealing.

"Maybe," the man holding her smirked, "But could be worth it in other ways," he reached down to grab her bag.

"Please," she breathed, "No…"

Her mind was racing, so startled out of dreams and into this…this nightmare, it was struggling to catch up, to think of what to do. She tried to move, tried to break away from the man's grip, but he shifted, turning his arm to brace it across her, forcing his arm against her neck, making her gasp and reach for it, trying to pry it off her so she could breathe. But she was small, she'd been walking for so long, she hadn't eaten or had a proper drink in too long, she was just…weak, she was so weak, her body, her mind, her grip, the man was larger and stronger, and he clearly knew what he was doing…

"Take a gander boys," he ripped the bag off her arm and threw it behind him, leaving it to one of his associates to catch it, "I got me a feeling about this one," he eyed her, "Seems regal to me. I'd bet my horse she's got some treasures in there…"

"Then fork the horse over," the third, short man huffed, throwing the bag back at Rose's feet, "Stale bread and berries."

"Check HER then," he ordered, nodding his head at her, "She's gotta be hiding something then. I just know it…"

The second man stepped up, moving beside his partner and reached out for her.

"No!" she cried as the man began to touch her, feeling up and down her body, patting it, looking for something, she kicked and squirmed and tried to shy away from his hands, but the first man returned his hand to her, grabbing the arm she'd tried to swing at them and shoving it roughly to the wall, holding her back, "Stop!"

She was panting now, she…she had to do something, she needed to stop them, but she could barely breathe, she could barely move…

"A ha!" the second man cheered, plucking her pipe right out of her boot.

Rose gasped at the sight, her mind both springing into action and coming to a grinding halt as she saw the pipe in the man's hand.

"Told you," the first man grinned, "That'll fetch a price…"

"NO!" Rose struggled even more, kicking out, managing to get the man in the knee, sending him stumbling back. She lunged forward and grabbed the pipe, not about to let them take it, NOT that pipe, not the last thing she had of her cousin. They could NOT have it!

"Wrong move princess," the man growled, grabbing her as she tried to flee and yanking her back, pulling her so harshly that she fell over his foot and landed on the ground in a heap. She looked up, rolling on her side to try and get up, but the man kicked her and pulled something out from behind him…a knife.

"Please…" she begged, unable to believe she was actually begging.

She should be DOING something, stopping them! She'd stopped people in the past from harming Snow…but she knew, there had always been a reason to attack others before, because it was Snow, she would do anything to keep Snow safe. It was different when it was Snow. When it came to her…there was always something keeping it from happening, keeping her from really doing damage to anyone else that threatened HER.

She blamed the damned fairies for it, that witch of a Blue Fairy in specific.

But this…this was real and serious and if she didn't DO something, they would…

Her thought was cut off by another kick to her gut, causing her to curl up in a ball. But that wasn't the end of it. The second man lashed out at her, trying to cut her arm, to pry the pipe from her fingers, but her movement led to him cutting her with his sharp blade, making her cry out in pain.

The fact that the men seemed unperturbed that she'd been so loud told her that they doubted anyone would come running to see what as happening.

And then it began. She could hardly process what was happening, all she felt was shooting pain through her body, from her shoulder to her knee, her gut, her hands…ooh her hands…she could feel them trying to pull the pipe from her but she would NOT let it happen!

She screamed again when the third man sliced her on the thigh just as the other man had, his knife serrated unlike the smooth other one. It felt like her leg was on fire and she let go of the pipe with one hand to try and stop them, to cover her leg, to do anything to stop it…but it didn't stop, the man with the serrated knife just did it again and again, cutting at her leg, seeing that it had gotten her to let go of the pipe before…

"Enough of this!" the first man snarled, flipping his blade in his hand and bringing it down to stab her right in the leg this time, no cutting, no torturing her, but stabbing her fully in the leg.

Whatever the man had been thinking, whether it was that to do such a thing with such a dull blade would cause her enough pain to release her pipe or that it would be a deep enough found to kill her by bleeding out…he was deadly wrong.

She could feel it, something inside her snapping as she let out the loudest scream of her life, so shrill and so full of unbridled rage and pain, that the men stumbled back, dropping their knives as they pressed their hands over their ears, trying to keep the sound out.

She panted for only a moment, rolling onto her stomach, her hands on the ground as she looked at them through her tears, seeing them so affected. She knew it would happen, she'd seen it happen before, when men would threaten Snow, she'd driven them to their knees, tormented them…but she had done it on instinct, it was a reaction to seeing her cousin in danger. It had happened now, she had screamed and her magic had reacted to her pain. The men were away from her, backed away, she could run…she could TRY to right now, but…how far would she get? How fast could she move? How long would these effects last?

…did she even want to flee?

Her eyes narrowed as she saw the first man recover and move to pick up his knife once more, her hands curled around her pipe and she shoved herself up, ignoring the pain in her thigh as she brought the wooden pipe to her lips and let out an equally shrill note. She watched as the men fell backwards again at the ringing sound, pouring her magic and anger and…hatred into the song, watching them fall to their knees. She change the tune, making the melody as chaotic as she could, making the notes as sharp and straining to hear as possible, she could see them now, she could see it in their eyes as the music and magic hit them, sending them falling to the ground, writhing in pain, before turning and curling in on themselves. And still she didn't stop. She would have, she should have, she had in the past, she had played enough for them to not get up swiftly…but this was different.

This was so very, very different.

She forced herself to stand, nearly sagging back to the ground as she tried to use her injured leg, but balanced more on the other, glaring down at the men as she played on, and on and on and on, not stopping till the men were nothing more than babbling, witless messes, their eyes vacant and crazed, their words meaningless, unintelligible chatter about noises in their head. She dropped her arm, panting as she looked upon them, three men, curled up and mad, their mind shattered…by HER magic.

She looked up, looking around, knowing that there was no way others hadn't heard the men screaming and would rush to see what was going on. She moved as quickly as she could, using the wall to brace her efforts, and grabbed her bag, stumbling and limping towards the main street, needing to get out of there, needing to get out of the town entirely and so she limped on, biting her tongue at the pain that raced through her with every move, trying to press her cloak to her thigh as she went, not wanting to leave a trail of blood that others could follow.

~8~

Rose wouldn't even begin to recall how she had managed to make it out of the town without anyone spotting her or following her, she truly couldn't. It was all a blur of pain and walls and stumbling and breathing and then trees and dirt and bushes and agonizing pain in her wound as she made it through the unlevel lands.

Even now she wasn't entirely sure what was happening as she sat on a small log, looking at the little fire she'd managed to make. She hated fire, but she needed it right now and it was a small one. It was manageable and, after the night she had had…she doubted she'd even notice if the fire caught elsewhere and consumed the woods around her. She just…stared into the flames, her eyes blank, her face expressionless, only the throbbing and pain racing up her side from her leg reminding her that she was still conscious. Her other wounds, the bruises and cuts she'd sustained from her beating, she was sure, should hurt but compared to her leg they were nothing.

Her hands were resting on her knees, her palms facing up, fingers slightly curled, her pipe just beside her, the bag on the ground, but she was motionless besides that, just trying to focus on breathing.

She should have killed them.

That was the dark thought in her mind, the one thought repeating over and over.

She should have killed them.

She shook her head and looked down at the fire, at a small handle sticking out from the side of it and swallowed hard. She turned slightly, lifting the side of her dress to reveal her thigh, her wound still bleeding, something she knew she had to see to now before she bled out or before infection set in. She took a deep, shaking breath and reached out to the handle, pulling the first man's dull knife out of it, the blade white hot. She hadn't even realized she'd picked it up as she left, but she had, and it was a good thing too.

She leaned over swiftly, grabbing her pipe and bringing it to her mouth, setting it between her teeth and biting down as she quickly pressed the knife's bald to her wounds, letting out a strangled scream at the searing pain that raced through her as she attempted to cauterize the wound. She held on as long as she could, before dropping the knife to the ground, her hands shaking as she fell to her knees, panting, tears in her eyes, her hand curling into fists.

Why hadn't she killed them!?

Why hadn't she stopped them before they'd hurt her?!

Why hadn't she lashed out sooner, used her magic, done SOMETHING to stop them?!

She closed her eyes, she knew why. All her life, all her life since she was a child, she had been taught to control her magic, to control it for the sole purpose of not hurting anyone else around her. The one time she had actually hurt someone, hurt them badly, for something done against her…

She opened her eyes, spitting the pipe from her mouth though not moving and risk moving her leg, not wanting to recall that moment or the horror that had come from it for her, but knowing that that moment had left a lasting impression on her. Ever since her mother had started to teach her how to control her magic, it was always emphasized that it was so others would not be harmed, so others wouldn't know she had magic, so others wouldn't hurt her. It had been so ingrained in her, just from being around her people, that if she didn't attack back when they threw barbs at her, they could not attack her physically. If they dared harm Snow that was an entirely different matter and she just…reacted.

But SHE had to be more controlled when it was just her. SHE had to be the cautious one, the one in control, the one that couldn't lash back. Years and years, more than a decade's worth, of being told that she shouldn't attack others, that her magic should not be used to harm…that she should not consciously hurt other people or use her magic to influence them…all it had done was lead to this moment, this moment where she should have acted quicker, used her magic instead of hesitating.

And she had hesitated.

Because they were humans, and she was not to harm the humans, harm the humans and they would attack her, hunt her, hurt her, threaten her family…that was how it always happened. The humans always went after the sirens. And if anyone found out that she was there, that she was Rose Red, that she was alive…if she used her magic and people realized she was Rose Red…Snow would be in danger.

She took a deep breath at that, grimacing and biting her lip tightly as she tried to move, to sit back on the log, only managing to get a hand on it as a brace, a new thought striking her, a thought that she should have considered ages ago when her kingdom had fallen.

She couldn't be Rose Red any longer.

WAS she even still Rose Red?

Rose Red was a princess, Rose Red had a family and kingdom, Rose Red had to care about the people…

SHE didn't. Not anymore. She wasn't a princess, her kingdom was destroyed, her family was as good as gone, and the people? She let out a bitter breath, why should she care about them? Why should she care about _any_ of the…the humans after how they had treated her.

And not just the men in the alley, they were scum, yes, they deserved a worse hell than she had given them. But it really wasn't just them, was it? There had been…so many people, SO many in her life that had looked at her with distrust, with disgust, with fear and condescension and hatred. There had been too many to name that had been cruel to her, spiteful, bitter, antagonistic, insulting…many, many other things. And she had endured it, for her father, for her kingdom, for her family, she had kept a rein on her magic, she had kept it controlled, bottled it despite the words and the whispers and the looks she received.

For what?!

She panted, letting out a fierce breath through her nose, shifting to push herself back onto the log, looking over as she tried to glimpse her leg, it was an angry, blistering red, but the sound was closed. That wound, that was all she had to show for her control.

What had that ever given her? What fruits had it ever born her? Even now three men that would have killed her lived, because she hadn't even considered really killing them. She hadn't even thought about what she was doing, she had wanted to do it, wanted them to suffer, and she'd played. She had controlled the music and the magic, but she hadn't killed them.

And she really should have.

She closed her eyes, trying to stem off the black spots in her vision at the pain that was still flooding through her, her hands curling into fists at that reminder, she was WEAK. She was weak if she couldn't end the lives of three despicable men that had harmed her. That would not do, ever again, that would NOT do. She would NOT let this happen, not just letting anyone close enough to harm her, but not retaliating to her fullest. The next person that gravely wounded or insulted or betrayed her she would end them. She could not afford to take any chances. Her magic alone made her a threat, just being what she was made her a target to those that despised people with magic. She could not afford to let them go, she could not afford to be weak again.

She couldn't afford to hesitate.

She had to be better than this, stronger than this.

She would be, she swore, she would practice her music, the tunes she could feel lingering in her soul and her heart. She would use everything she had to her advantage from this moment on. No more hiding, no more moving in the shadows, no more being walked over or taken advantage of. No more using her patience on others. It was going to be what SHE wanted or nothing at all. She had been able to break the minds of men, she had been able to torture them in the past, she had been able to sway animals to her will, humans could not be much different.

THAT was what Sirens did, wasn't it? They manipulated, they got what they wanted, they used the humans to do it.

Her eyes opened as that thought hit her, SIRENS did that.

Rose Red was half human.

Rose Red was dead, as of this moment, Rose Red was dead, there was no half-human left, there couldn't be. She needed to be stronger, colder, harder, to survive in this world.

She could not be Rose Red.

She could not be human.

She took a deep breath at that as that realization sunk into her mind. She truly couldn't. Everything that Rose Red was, everything she represented had to go. For so much of her life she had tried to be human, be like the other children. It hadn't always worked, had rarely ever worked, her siren half always came out. But she'd tried to ignore it, tried to push it down, tried to learn the music and the magic without letting it consuming her.

And now it had to.

Rose Red had tried so hard not to become more siren-like as the years went by, hadn't managed it effectively, but she had TRIED. That had to stop. Being human, trying to be, was what was getting her into trouble, was what was making her weaker and more vulnerable and she refused, refused to EVER be that again.

Was there even a good point to being human? Was there? It had to be Snow talking, in her mind, all these years, her hopeful sonnets about how humans were inherently good people and worth fighting for. Clearly Snow had not seen the people SHE had, had not experienced how cruel they could be to a mere child simply because she was different, had never seen how vicious and dangerous they were when they were scared of others. No, humans were not good, goodness was made, it had to be taught, which meant that humans could just as easily be evil and dark and she would never fall for the ruse that someone was a good person just because they were human ever again.

Her mother had been a Siren, and had been a good and just Queen.

Her people had been human, and had suspected her and whispered about her, tormented her and her mother, humans…humans were the vulnerable weak ones, and she would NOT be that.

She let out a breath at that, reaching up to rest her hand on her chest, rubbing where her heart was as she felt…a coldness settle in her, a firmness…a…relief. She could feel it, her heart, beating in her chest, hardening at that thought, at the memory of every single slight that had been done to her by the humans, slights she had tried to justify and explain and logic in her mind. Slights she was now realize had no reason behind them, no logic, no justification, slights that were just that…attacks against her, attacks she should never have allowed and would never allow again.

She didn't have to be afraid, she didn't have to hide, she didn't have to flee instead of fight.

Her mother had told her that, so long ago, their very first lesson about her magic.

 _You must always remember that, if all else fails, you will ALWAYS have your voice. Your voice is your most powerful weapon. If ever someone tries to harm you, you possess within you the power to stop them, to escape. If someone tries to hurt you, you are allowed to fight back._

She glanced down at the pipe lying on the ground and struggled to pick it up, running a hand along it, the pipe...it had always been her favorite instrument, the one that worked best with her magic. Perhaps that was what she should be from now on. Rose Red no longer...but...the piper? Yes, she nodded, that was fitting, and it was stronger than Rose Red. The Piper would be stronger than Rose Red could ever be.

SHE didn't have to fear anyone anymore, no, it should be the others that feared HER.

Her magic, her music, could just as easily be a weapon.

And a weapon it would be.

A/N: I really wanted this to be the flashback just after the Shattered Sight hit. In the last chapter we saw Piper choose to become like a full Siren, here we see her choosing to stop being half-human, here we see her consciously choosing how she would use her magic from now on.

I can say there IS a reason why Piper didn't automatically attack the men when they started to hurt her, and it will go back to a point in her childhood. For Snow, for anyone else but herself, she would attack with no qualms, because she is defending her cousin...but there was something in her past that kept her from truly attacking in her own defense :'(

Some notes on reviews...

Piper's condition is reversible when the curse ends yup, but the moment of reversal...it won't be pretty :(

I can say Piper will be in quite a few places...and there will be some murderous thoughts, but we'll have to see if it qualifies as a rampage or not ;)

Piper will come across some people, one or two might surprise you with what they want to do under the curse, there'll definitely be a twist for Piper's adventures through town though ;)

I think Gold would have definitely needed measures to protect the people important to him and Piper, Piper would definitely kill him if he'd let the curse come without plotting how her family would be safe through it ;) And thanks! I try to edit as much as I can, about 4-5 times before posting, but I always seem to miss something lol :) I agree the show is sort of losing it's logic and 'reality' I mean I get it's about fairytales, but there was a sense of realism in earlier seasons that just makes the more recent ones seem convoluted at times :/ There are some plots that serve absolutely 0 purpose and are really just completely pointless to have been put in and the 'shock value' I think they were meant to get ended up backfiring big time on the writers which will probably just make it even more confusing and unrealistic in Season 5 :/ Eventually Emma will be able to talk to Henry about Hook and discuss Neal with others yup ;)


	19. Shattered Sight

Shattered Sight

Gold couldn't help but smirk as he stood beside Piper, observing the town, night having fallen, the curse taking hold, watching as the citizens attacked each other, fighting in the streets, ready to rip each other apart. He looked at Piper to see her observing them with narrowed eyes, her pipe in her hands.

"Are you sure this is what you want to do Pip?" he asked, "It would be far more satisfying to let them end themselves."

She hummed at that, considering his words, "It would," she admitted, "It would be most entertaining to watch, most gratifying to amplify the effects of the curse," she ran a finger along the pipe he'd given her, imagining what her music could do the curse already, "Watch them truly tear themselves apart, the streets running red...rose red...with blood, the horror on the faces of those that survive the breaking of the curse…"

She let out a long, almost wistful breath at that.

"You could do it."

She slowly shook her head, "They are a threat to my family, and I will not allow anything to harm them, least of all their own people."

He nodded at that, looking back at the people, it had hit him, the moment Piper had asked what a Siren would do in such a situation, exactly what they WOULD do. A Siren, a full blooded Siren, would protect their family, from any threat, from every single person in the town if necessary…nothing would harm their family, and now, with the effects of the curse in place…it would be glorious to witness a siren in action.

Her voice, it was deeper, richer, it held a magic in it just from her speaking when she wasn't putting magic into it. The curse had truly taken every dark part of her and brought it to the surface, including her reserves of magic, it had amplified her music inside her, if the curse made her more like a real siren, then so would her magic follow. The power she had in her hands right now, the power she could exert over the town…he was honored he could be there to witness it, it was not something anyone had likely seen in their lifetime.

"You could end them though," he remarked, "They ARE a threat, they would kill the princess and her children, her husband, her grandson…"

"I would thoroughly enjoy it," she nodded, "But this curse is powerful, it fuels them," she frowned, tilting her head as she watched the happiest of dwarves starting to strangle the most dim of them, "And there are many in the town…" she shook her head, sighing with a sorrow in her voice, "They shall live yet, but sleep."

He nodded, understanding what she was saying. Her magic was amplified yes, but it wasn't limitless, a Siren's magic came from within, from their voices. There was only so long a person could play before their physical body shut down and grew raw, there was only so much energy she would have inside her to be able to affect the entire town as she planned.

It took less energy to lull the body to sleep than to cause it to shut down.

For now the town would merely sleep under her lullaby, soothed and quieted, put to rest and securing the safety of her family, something she had thought to do after bestowing the sleeping potion to Pinocchio.

He had to chuckle at that thought, the Snow Queen had been so reliant on the town destroying itself, and now they would barely be able to get a single effective harm in before they were curled up like children where they stood, completely ineffective to her spell. The biggest backfire in the history of magic he'd like to call it. She wanted the town fighting, but instead, the entire town would soon be sleeping. And the fact that Piper believed herself capable of doing that meant that she trusted how powerful she would be under this curse.

"I cannot assist you, Pip," he murmured, a hint of regret in his voice, "The deal with the Snow Queen, I was to stay out of her way if she stayed out of mine."

" _You_ made the deal not to interfere with her plans…" she grinned, "But _I_ made no such bargain."

"No, you didn't," he agreed, yet another loophole the Snow Queen hadn't considered.

"Truth, Rummy," she glanced at him, "I would not request your assistance in this matter."

"No?"

She shook her head slowly, looking back at the town, "I want to do this. I want them to know it. I want them to see what a true Siren could do, to know that their fate rested in _my_ hands."

It was a double edged sword, he knew, for her to do this.

The entire reason she had allowed the spell to take her was the knowledge that, as a Siren, nothing and no one would stop her from keeping her family safe. Becoming the darkest part of her would literally be the only thing that kept the town from becoming a bloodbath while Emma and Elsa tried to break the curse. She did it for the same reason she had done everything in her past, for her family, she was letting herself be consumed by the siren to keep them safe, she was unleashing the truly dark parts of herself for them.

In the end, when the curse was broken and the town woke…he had no doubts that the majority would be fearful of her even still, that she had had such power as to affect the entire town with just her voice, they would ignore and overlook the fact that her music, her lullaby, was the only thing that kept them from killing the people closest to them. A few, a select few, would look at her with more understanding, he hoped, a greater depth in seeing how much she valued her family and would trust her from now on. If, at her very worst, her truly darkest time, she still put her family above anything else.

She wanted it to both be a show of power, but also a point to prove to those that doubted her care for her cousin and family.

"I do, however, have one request," Piper began.

"Anything Pip," he was feeling rather useless being unable to truly help.

"Find Henry," she looked to him, "Keep him safe. I do not doubt Emma or the Queen have taken precautions with him, but I would rather you protect him."

"Of course," he agreed readily, he would rather guard his grandson than let it depend on someone else's magic.

Piper smirked at that, gesturing down to the street and he flicked his wrist, causing a swirl of red smoke to rise around her and deposit her gently on the road. She looked up at him, her dark eyes sparkling with fire, and gave him a deep, wide armed bow of thanks, before she turned to the people, lifting her pipe to her mouth and playing her song.

Gold blinked as he realized her music wasn't affecting him…but very much was affecting those around her. He could see their movements slowing, growing more sluggish as she stepped into the middle of the road, see them swaying before they toppled over like sacks of potatoes, lying where they'd been standing, completely unconscious.

He could see Piper's smirk from there as she began to walk down the middle of the road, playing her song as she went. She wasn't powerful enough to cast her magic over the entire town from where she was standing, music had to be heard for it to work, so she would have to make a round about town, but the people would sleep till she chose to end the spell she'd woven.

He waited, watching till she'd disappeared down the road and around a corner, people falling like flies in her wake, before he transported himself away to find his grandson.

~8~

Emma and Elsa burst out of the sheriff's station, turning to run down the road, needing to find the Snow Queen. The first place they could think to go was the Ice Cream shop, it was the nearest and they just had to check. They ran down the streets, around the corners that would lead them to it…and stopped short around the very last one.

"Whoa," Emma blinked, staring at the road…it was quiet, there wasn't a soul to be seen…awake at least. Everyone was just lying there. She hurried forward to the nearest person, Whale, and pressed her fingers to his neck, "He's alive…" she frowned at that, more confused that he wasn't dead than saddened that he was alive, "What the hell…" she looked around again, everyone was sleeping!

"Emma what is this?" Elsa looked at her, equally startled.

"This, I believe, is something you would have to thank your aunt for," Gold's voice spoke behind them, making them gasp and turn around.

"The Snow Queen?"

"YOUR aunt," Gold clarified, nodding at Emma.

Emma's eyes widened, "Piper did this?"

"That IS her specialty," Gold shrugged, "Controlling beasts, and these people," he gestured at them, "Are little more than beasts at the moment, aren't they?"

"Piper put the whole town to sleep?"

"She's working on it," Gold offered, "A bit of a way to derail the Snow Queen's plans as it were."

"Then she's…" Emma hesitated, "She's still…good? She wasn't affected by the curse?"

"Oh she very much was," Gold sighed, "The spell's pulled all the darkness in her to the surface, all that makes her half-siren is pushed up and exacerbated."

"Wait," Emma shook her head, "You're telling me we've got an actual real Siren running around the town…and putting people to sleep?" that made no sense, "Wouldn't she just…just kill everyone?"

"She would," Gold agreed, "She's very disappointed that she's losing this opportunity."

"Then why's she doing this?" Emma threw her hand out at the people.

"Because of you, dearie."

"Me?"

"You are her family, as is Snow White, and Henry, little Neal, a siren allows no one to harm them. And this entire town is now a threat to them. So what do YOU think a Siren would do?"

"Stop them," Emma breathed, her eyes widening, "She's putting the town to sleep to keep them from hurting mom and me and…"

"Yes," Gold nodded, "But not even her energy is everlasting, she will tire soon, Emma. You and your little Ice Queen need to stop this, and stop this now."

"Why can't YOU do it?" Emma asked, "You're the Dark One! Can't you just…zap yourself to the Snow Queen and…"

"And?"

"And rip her heart out or something? Make her change this?"

Gold chuckled at that, "I'd be careful if I were you, Miss Swan. You almost sound as though the curse got to you."

Emma narrowed her eyes at that, "Gold!"

"Those ribbons on your wrist," he nodded at her, "I can feel the light magic from here. This curse is dark magic, you require light magic to fight it, of which, I have none. I'm afraid this is up to you."

"So that's it then, we have to kill the Snow Queen to stop this?"

"It appears so," he let out a breath.

"Can't you help us?" Elsa stepped beside Emma, "There must be something at least that you can do."

"There is," he nodded, "In fact, that's why I'm here," he looked at Emma, "Pip requests I guard your boy. I could go to my shop, find a magical item to find him, but this would be quicker if you would impart that information to me."

"How do I know you're not under the curse?" Emma asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Dark One, dearie," he held out his hands, "I'm already as dark as I can get. I'm immune."

Emma let out a breath at that, but was silent.

"Don't you trust me?" he smirked.

"I trust Piper."

"And she trusts me," he reminded Emma, "Now, we can go back and forth debating the merits of a _Siren's_ trust…" he emphasized the word, reminding Emma that Piper was as good as a full Siren at this moment, that she would put her family's safety above everything, and if SHE had asked him to guard the boy then it was in his best interests to do so, "Or, you can tell me where your boy is so I can ensure no one harms him."

Emma's lips pursed, but she sighed, "He's in Regina's office."

Gold tipped his head at that and disappeared in a swirl of red smoke.

~8~

"Hello Snow White."

Anna, sister of Elsa, jumped at the voice behind her as she stood in the Sheriff's station, the baby, Neal, in his little cot on the table to her right, her fiancé handcuffed to a desk to her left, Snow White and Prince Charming locked in cells before her. Emma and Elsa had left her in charge of guarding them and now there was someone else there! She quickly grabbed a strange metal bat and turned, "Who are you?!" she demanded, ready to attack if she had to.

The blonde woman in the doorway just rolled her eyes, looking at the woman in the cell.

"Rosie," Mary Margaret smiled, a sneering quality to it.

"You know her?" Anna looked between them, not sure if she should keep the bat raised, the blonde didn't seem to be about to attack, not like the people outside the window were.

"Hello cousin," Piper continued to look at Mary Margaret, ignoring Anna whose eyes widened at that, slowly lowering the bat in shock.

"Hello traitor," Mary Margaret shot back, her sneer turning to a glare.

Piper merely crossed her arms, leaning on the doorway, tilting her head to eye her cousin, "Traitor, am I? Ooh…" she murmured mockingly, "That hurts."

"What are you doing here?" Mary Margaret demanded, gripping the bars, "Shouldn't you be out there, killing everyone in sight by now?"

"That is truly the best you can do?" she nearly laughed at that, sounding more like she was taunting the woman. She…didn't know why she had entered the station. She had sworn to avoid her family as best she could, keep them all safe by keeping them away from her at the same time. She knew she was in a dangerous state, she didn't know how she would react to them under this…new feeling inside her, she hadn't wanted to risk them…yet here she was, standing across the room from her cousin.

"How many have you slaughtered so far?" David called, a dark grin on his face as though he were trying to harm her with his words.

Sad for him that she wasn't interested.

"You should go," Anna called, wanting the woman out of there if she was just going to antagonize the others.

"I should," Piper considered that, pushing off the door to walk further into the room, making her way right to Mary Margaret's cell, "Before I depart, though…tell me truly Snow, tell me what you think of me now."

THAT was why she was there, she realized it now. She could remember before this…curse happened, she could remember the woman tearfully apologizing, taking back words of mistrust…but this curse. It was freeing, it let you see the darkest in others, express your deepest thoughts and worst feelings. She wanted to know, while they were open in such a way, what her cousin REALLY thought of her.

Mary Margaret smirked, leaning in, "I think you're a monster," she whispered to Piper, almost sing-songing her words, "I think," she stepped closer, curling her hands around the bars more firmly, "Your mother must have put a spell on my uncle, to make him love her because," she snorted a laugh, "NO ONE could love a woman like Ilayda or maybe he did," she shrugged, "And he was just as cruel and vicious as a siren was on the inside. And I think that it was a blessing Regina burned down your kingdom instead of giving you the chance to rule it. You ruined your life, Rosie, you tarnished your soul, put blood on your hands, let your heart harden to this?" she gestured at Piper, laughing in a scoffing way, "Your true love is the Dark One for god's sake! Just imagining what your kingdom would have been like, it's a good thing it was destroyed," she shook her head, "You're a failure of a mother, a traitor of a cousin, you let me think you were DEAD!" and now she was angry, "You let me grieve you, for years, while you played mistress of the Dark Castle, while you murdered and laid waste to villages. You let me think I was alone!" she leaned in close to the bars, glaring at Piper, breathing hard, "I think, no," she tilted her head, "I KNOW…that I hate you, Piper, I hate who you are, I hate what you are, I hate that becoming this destroyed my cousin, though," she let out a mocking pout, "She was a little bit of a brat, wasn't she? A freak? A monster? No, I guess you didn't kill her, you always were her, weren't you, this was always what she was going to be?" she eyed Piper up and down, "A monster, from the moment you were born, and that's all you'll be, that's all your children will be…IF you ever have any that is," she snorted, "Maybe the universe knows what demon spawn they would be and is trying to save us all that disgusting, disturbing horror."

Anna tensed, her hands gripping the bat as she watched the two women, tears in her eyes for the truly horrible things that Snow White of all people was saying to a woman that was apparently her cousin…

If she thought that Piper would have lashed out, struck at Mary Margaret, tried to hurt her or strangle her or…something…

She was actually very wrong.

Because all Piper did was grin and start to laugh, "Ooh, I almost like you like this Snow," she murmured, "You are _far_ more honest when you care not if you shall harm me."

Mary Margaret frowned at that, seeming equally surprised by how the woman was taking her words.

"And as much as I would love to set you on the town," she glanced at Charming, "Or on your dear husband," she mused, stepping back, "I must take my leave of you," she held out her arms, "I have a town to _slaughter_ after all. That IS what Sirens do, is it not?"

Anna watched, completely shocked, as Piper did just that, turned and walked out of the room, "Ok," she shook her head, looking at the others, "Was that normal? I mean for this cursey thing? Is that a normal reaction? Because I wanted to slap you and I'm not even cursed. I mean, I was cursed but…"

"Oh shut up," Mary Margaret sneered at her.

Anna winced, "Right."

~8~

Gold appeared in the hallway just outside of Regina's office in Town Hall, eyeing the protection spell the woman had placed before the door and smirked, he had taught her that spell, he could easily remove it…but he wouldn't. His grandson was inside that room and, for now, he was safe. If anyone else with magic, a fairy or who ever, tried to change that…well, the boy was HIS grandson and no one was going to harm him. So he turned and settled himself against the wall just opposite the door, and remained standing there, waiting, watching…

"And what are you doing here, captain?" Gold muttered, seeing Hook striding down the hall, having waved his hand to add to the protection spell a sound-proof quality so that Henry wouldn't hear them outside.

"Where's the fish?" Hook countered with a sneer, "She turn homicidal on you yet?"

"On the town perhaps," Gold smirked, seeing Hook's expression falter at how HE wasn't the one in danger, "But never me. You…" he considered the man, "Perhaps, the both of us, if you don't tell me what you're doing here."

"None of your business."

"Given that there is only one person in this building, I think it very much IS my business," he narrowed his eyes at Hook, "I could order you to tell me…"

Hook muttered a curse under his breath before huffing, "I came for the boy. It's like swimming with sharks out there. The minute one of them tastes blood, they'll tear each other apart. I want to get him away from that."

"By dragging him through it?" Gold scoffed, "Count your blessings you're not one of them and leave Henry's protection to me."

Hook frowned at that, "Why was I spared the cloud's curse?"

"Because your heart wasn't in your chest, dearie," he said simply.

"Neither is yours," Hook pointed out, "It's in the fish."

Gold rolled his eyes at that, was that truly the best name people could come up with for Piper? He shook his head, "But I do have A heart in me," he countered, "You have none. It was in my shop with me at the time. In protective custody, so to speak."

"Why is it still beating then?" Hook frowned at him, "The Snow Queen is going to tear the town apart. Wouldn't it…cast blame off you to crush it now, leave the others to think it was one of my other enemies? My own crew?"

Gold knew what he was doing, trying to bait him into doing it, into not controlling him any longer, but he wasn't ready and it wasn't time and it wasn't as though the man would be able to speak of this to anyone afterwards, "The time isn't right," he said simply, "Tomorrow night, when the stars in the sky align with the stars in the hat, I shall finally cleave myself from this dagger and that, dearie, is where and when your heart comes in."

"So I have until tomorrow night to find a way to stop you."

"I dare you to try," Gold smirked, "But you'll find your heart just…isn't in it," he chuckled darkly, "And now, unless you really, really have no need for that tongue, I suggest you slither back outside into the hostile current and leave the guarding of my grandson to ME."

Hook's jaw clenched at that, knowing Gold would banish him to the middle of the carnage if he didn't leave now, but he wouldn't let it go without a few parting words, "You won't win. Villains never do."

"Then it appears YOU shall lose as well, doesn't it?"

Hook shot him one more glare before turning to stalk away.

~8~

Piper drifted through the forests around Storybrooke, having made it through the majority of the town by now, nearly everyone within the town's roads was asleep now, all of them save a select few she wanted awake come the end of the curse, the sheriff's station, Town Hall, but she had gotten nearly the entire town, and all that was left was the forests around the town. She knew that Robin and his men had taken to the woods, a few others had joined them…or targeted the men, whichever the case was she cared not so long as they were taken care of as well.

She was nearing the end of her trek when she paused in her playing as she heard a grunting noise and lowered her pipe, a familiar song playing ahead of her that had her smirking as she stepped out from the bushes to see…

"Robin Hood," she greeted, eyeing him tied to a tree nearby the cemetery and straining to free himself.

"Release me!" the man nearly snarled at her, struggling to get out, "Release me now!"

She tsked at him, "Rude."

"Do it!" he snapped.

She tilted her head, her dark eyes observing him, he seemed…determined, "Why should I?"

"I need to find her," he snapped, "She should be dead!"

"Who?" she inquired, "The Queen?"

"No," he nearly growled.

Her eyes widened minutely at the firmness in his voice, he truly was not intending to seek out the queen, "If you seek not the queen, then whom do you seek?"

"Marian."

The venom that came with that one word would have shocked her if she hadn't found herself so amused by it, "Your little forest maid is whom you desire to kill?" she raised an eyebrow at that.

"Yes," he strained against the ropes.

"And why is that?" as far as she was aware, the entire reason he'd lost his darling wife in the first place was Regina and her dungeons…

"She's the reason I can't be with my soulmate!" Robin nearly snarled at that.

"And you wish to be?" she asked, "Even now?"

"She's standing in our way," Robin glared at her, "I want her _gone_."

Piper let out a dark chuckle at that, "Well, well, well," she murmured, "That IS an interesting turn of events," she slowly neared him, moving before him to look into his eyes. And she could see it, the dark desire that came with wanting to murder someone, to take revenge, to get what you wanted, "I shall finish my work soon," she remarked, moving to the side, around the tree, "I shall need some form of entertainment."

And, with that, she pulled the Dark One's dagger out of her boot and sliced through the ropes securing Robin to the tree. The man barely stumbled as he was released from it, taking off into the woods, away from the cemetery, his eyes firmly on the ground as though looking for some sort of trail that would lead him to his frozen wife.

She smirked at that, it would be rather interesting to observe Robin Hood actually attempting to crush the heart of his beloved Maid Marian, what a tale for the epic love stories of old.

Her thoughts were cut off, however, when she heard an angry scream echoing to the left, in the direction of the cemetery, one that sounded remarkably like the Queen screaming 'SWAN!'

She hurried towards the cemetery, coming to the edge of it, within sight of the Queen's mausoleum where it appeared she had locked herself in, to see Emma and Elsa bolting through the aisles of gravestones, and the Queen, dressed in her old gown, about to follow them, actually giving chance instead of transporting herself with magic. The look on the Queen's face, the murderous rage, was enough for Piper to narrow her eyes and pull her pipe to her lips once more, letting out a piercing note that rang through the night, causing the Queen to stumble and cover her ears the moment it reached her.

Piper stepped out of the shadows, moving through the cemetery towards the Queen, playing more and more as she drew nearer, staring down at the woman trying to keep the music out, her body so pained her mind couldn't even process to use her magic to disappear. She took a breath in through her nose and forced herself to change the tune, lessening the pain, making it more soothing, lulling the woman to a deep sleep then and there. Henry, that was the word echoing through her mind, this woman was important to her nephew, her nephew would be crushed and hurt and hate her if she did anything to harm his one mother…so to sleep she went.

Piper took a breath as she finished the song, looking to the left where Emma and Elsa had run off, panting slightly as she started to feel the effects of the use of her magic reach her. She was using up her energy, and that was after taking precautions not to use too much of it in truly ending the town. But the town was now asleep, all of them save a few…and she had energy enough for one last quest.

Her cousin and Neal were safe, the town was asleep.

Her nephew was safe, Gold was watching over him.

Now…now it was time to ensure her niece was safe as well.

~8~

"You two have no idea how long I've waited for this moment," the voice of the Snow Queen spoke behind Emma and Elsa as they stood in her icy lair, having come to confront her, causing them to jump and spin around, instantly defensive. The small smile on her face faded when she saw that there was something distinctly missing from their wrists, "Your ribbons, what have you done?"

"I'm not much for accessories," Emma defended.

It had been hell getting the ribbons off. They'd confronted the Snow Queen at her ice cream shop…only to realize their magic didn't work against her. The ribbons protected her from magical attacks from them so they'd tried to get them off. They'd gone to Gold's shop, looking for anything that would cut them off but there was nothing…till they'd realized the ribbons operated on love…and all they needed was as equally hateful magic to destroy them. Which had led them to Regina's vault, had led to her antagonizing the woman into launching a fireball at them that destroyed the ribbons. She'd blasted Regina back with magic and they'd bolted, needing to find the Snow Queen before Regina caught up to them and they'd done it.

Now it was time for this to end.

"Those ribbons joined us together!" the Snow Queen frowned at them.

"Get it through your head, lady," Emma glared, "We're not your sisters and we're never gonna love you!"

"Oh, Emma," she sighed, "I know that you actually believe that. And it makes me sad. But I know that sadness won't last because soon, you'll see you're wrong."

"Don't do it!" Emma shouted, lifting her hands to call on her magic when she saw the woman move to a small cushioned bench and lean over to grab something. The Snow Queen just turned to them, holding out her hands with two purple stones resting on them, "The hell are those?"

"They're memories I took from the two of you," she smiled, "And now it's time to give them back."

"Why?" Emma shook her head, "So we can remember just how badly you treated us?"

"The funny thing about time is we romanticize the good and forget the bad. That's exactly what's in these crystals. These are the good memories and nothing else. Lovely moments the two of you shared with me, which I'll cherish forever and now…so will you."

"I hate to break it to you, but magic can't make someone love you."

"You're right, Emma," she nodded, standing, "Magic can't create love. But if someone loved you in the past, it can make them love you again. And I know you've forgotten, Emma, but you _did_ love me," she slowly walked towards them, "You both did," she looked between them, before passing past them, towards her mirror, "That's why, right now, you're not doing anything," she smiled at the empty mirror, "We all know the only way to stop me is to kill me, and you're both hesitating," she turned to face them, seeing them glancing at each other, "You don't have it in you."

"But _I_ do!" a voice shouted behind her before she stiffened, gasping, her body tensing in pain, before she fell to her knees, revealing Piper behind her, holding a red, beating heart in her hand.

"Piper!" Emma gasped.

Piper stared at the heart in her hand a moment, her face expressionless though Emma felt she almost appeared surprised that that had worked, before she looked up at Emma, over the Snow Queen's fallen form, the woman still living, gasping and clutching at her chest, not having expected that.

Emma actually stepped back at the sight of Piper…it almost didn't look like her any longer. Her hair…it seemed lighter, paler, straighter, her eyes were dark, almost black, her skin paler. Her entire presence gave off a dark feel, but…a protective one as well. She stepped forward once more to where she'd been, not feeling threatened despite the dangerous look on Piper's face or the fact that she was holding someone's heart in her hand, looking all too ready to crush it. It was like there was a magic wafting off her that even she could sense, and all of it felt…safe. To her, it felt safe, like SHE was safe.

Glancing at Elsa, though, she could tell that she was the only one in the lair that felt that way.

"Emma," Piper greeted, straightening, lowering her arm holding the heart to look down at the Snow Queen, "Queen Ingrid," she sneered.

"What have you done?!" the Snow Queen gasped, scrambling to her feet and turning to face Piper, "What…" she seemed shocked to see her heart in Piper's hand, the red, beating organ appearing to have a bit of frost around the edges of it.

"I am terribly sorry to tell you that your plan has failed," Piper stated, not sounding sorry at all, "The town is safe, your 'sisters' are free, and now…" she held up the heart, "Now this ends…"

"Piper stop!" Emma shouted, seeing Piper starting to squeeze the heart, driving the Snow Queen to her knees in pain.

"No," Piper shook her head, squeezing more, "This ends now, you…" she stepped closer to the Snow Queen as she gasped, agony racing through her from the pressure on her heart, "You wished for a family," her lip curled in a snarl, "You should not have tried to take MINE…"

"Piper!" Emma started forward.

" _Stop!_ " Piper commanded, her voice oozing her magic, making Emma and Elsa's feet freeze in place.

"What?" Emma looked up, startled.

"This is the ONLY way Emma!" Piper snapped at her, not about to attack her family but not about to let Emma stop her either, "To destroy the curse is to destroy the one that cast it," she looked down at the Snow Queen, "Ooh do not look so startled, your majesty," she mock-cooed at the woman, now staring up at her with tears in her wide, fearful, wounded eyes, "THIS is what you wanted, is it not?! _You_ wanted us to see our darkest selves. You wanted us to become the worst of our hearts…well now I AM," she brought the Snow Queen's heart before her, "NOW I am a Siren, that is what I am, that is my darkest self," she crouched down to look the woman in the eyes as she squeezed the heart more, "You wanted us like this, now you must bear the consequences of what it means to threaten a Siren's family."

Emma could only watch in shock as Piper squeezed the Snow Queen's heart, staring right into the Snow Queen's eyes, watching the woman watch her as she crushed it to dust, the Snow Queen falling, lifeless to the ground moments later.

"How could you…" Elsa began.

But Piper snapped her head towards Elsa, "I did what you could not," she looked between the two women, "I shall _always_ do what my family cannot. I will NOT allow you to blacken your heart if I can take the burden from you, Emma," Piper told her. She hadn't been expecting to do this, hadn't even thought to try, till she'd seen the Evil Queen running after her niece, intent to kill...and it hit her, to stop the Snow Queen, Emma, her niece, would have to KILL the woman...and that had set her off, that had jarred her enough to have her follow, that sliver of love and that promise she'd made to her cousin so long ago reminding her that protection wasn't just physical, but so many other forms. And this? Doing this, keeping Emma from having to do it, was protecting her.

Emma swallowed hard at that, at the promise in her voice, and she knew…she could remember, her mother saying something about that. How her cousin, how Piper, had told her once, promised her, that she would do the darker deeds, that she would do whatever it took to keep Snow White's heart pure, to take on the burdens that the heroes couldn't. The only way to stop the curse was to kill the Snow Queen…and she was right, she and Elsa had hesitated, they hadn't been able to muster killing the woman…

Would she have?

She couldn't even answer if she'd actually be able to kill the Snow Queen just to end the curse, as much as she told herself she would, to keep her family safe, when she'd been given the opportunity to do it…she HAD hesitated.

Piper hadn't.

Piper had taken that terrible burden, that stain that would have been on her heart, for herself.

"Thank you," Emma breathed, feeling tears in her eyes as she looked at the woman that literally put her family above everything else.

She was a siren now, she was the…dark creature that everyone feared…and she had come here, after putting the town to sleep, to save her mother, to help HER face the Snow Queen. Because she hadn't wanted HER to have to kill someone…in cutting the ribbons she'd made the Snow Queen vulnerable, in being there she'd made the Snow Queen distracted, and in being who she was, she'd driven Piper to kill the woman instead, to do what…she was sure now…she and Elsa wouldn't have been able to do.

Piper looked up, as though hearing something above them, "We must leave," she turned and hurried to the doorway.

"What…" Emma began, when the room started to shake, what looked like shards of the mirror starting to fly in through the ceiling, gathering around the Snow Queen's body, the entire icy lair starting to rumble and tremble, ice starting to fall from the ceiling.

"Go!" Elsa pushed her on, the two of them hurrying after Piper, the three racing out the door as they heard crashing behind them as the structure collapsed, the curse ended, the Snow Queen's power unable to keep it erect any longer.

They gasped as they reached the forest line, turning to see the ice cavern collapsing with the Snow Queen inside it. And then, from the top of the structure, what looked like a swirl of white snow, not reflective bits of mirror, rose into the air and went flying away from them and towards the town.

"Is that…" Emma murmured.

Elsa nodded, smiling, "It's over…"

"We must get back to the town," Piper said suddenly.

"Right," Emma nodded, starting to smile too, "You need to wake everyone up," she reached out to Piper, offering her a hand, taking Elsa's as well, "I…sorta want to try something," she admitted, Piper taking her hand and the three of them disappeared in a swirl of white smoke.

~8~

Emma let out a whoop of joy when her attempt at magically transporting not just herself but Elsa and Piper was successful and they appeared right in the middle of main street, white flurries floating down around them, covering the people still lying there, asleep, in a thin layer of it. But there were others there, Mary Margaret, David, Anna, Kristoff, Regina, Gold, and Henry were there, awake and aware and seeming to be reuniting and talking about what to do next when they appeared in a flash of white magic.

"Emma!" Mary Margaret gasped, rushing to hug her daughter at the same time Henry called, 'Mom!' and went to do the same.

"Anna!" Elsa beamed, hurrying to hug her sister, even pulling Kristoff into the hug as well.

"Piper," Gold's greeting was more subdued than the others, his steps towards Piper more cautious, his expression more concerned as he observed her standing there, seeming almost to be swaying, blinking slowly, "Pip…" he watched her closely, seeing her eyes starting to fade from their darker colors to her usual green as the snow began to affect her.

"I take it we have you to thank for this?" David let out a chuckle at her, gesturing at the people, sounding almost grateful.

Mary Margaret gasped as she turned to Piper, opening her mouth to furiously apologize for everything she'd said, when her expression morphed instantly to concern, "Rose?"

"Aunt P?" Henry joined in, noticing that something was wrong with Piper as well.

"Rummy…" Piper breathed, her voice coming out far too weak and crackling, her face turning an unnaturally pale shade, her breath weak and shallow, before she managed to look up and lock eyes with Gold, " _Help_ …"

Gold nearly leapt forward when Piper collapsed where she was standing, crumpling to the ground, nearly slamming her head against the street had he not managed to catch her in time.

Instantly, at the same moment she fell, the people on the streets gasped and sat up, as though waking suddenly from a deep sleep, disoriented and startled and looking around for their bearings.

"Rose!" Mary Margaret screamed, hurrying over to her unconscious cousin's side, trying to shake her awake, "Rose!"

Emma was at her side in an instant, pressing her fingers to Piper's neck, her eyes widening in concern, "We need to get her to the hospital! Now!"

Gold didn't even pause a moment, surrounding them in a swirl of red smoke just as Piper's head lulled to the side, her body falling limp, her chest ceasing to rise…

A/N: It might be a bit of a let down that Piper didn't rampage through the town slaughtering everyone in her path lol, but I hope that ending made up for it }:D Just some of my reasonings for events in this chapter to follow:

For Piper's lack of bloodshed, I feel like Sirens are largely misunderstood in the story and Piper is aware enough that _her family_ is in danger if the town is left to its own devices, so SHE has to step up and do something to keep them safe. Family comes before almost anything to a Siren. But she also knows she has to be smart and calculated in how she does it to really be able to keep them safe and that's what's allowing her to put them to sleep instead of kill them all, Sirens will do what keeps their family safe from the most people...and she knows she doesn't have the energy to kill every single person in the town, that she'd likely get halfway through and run out and then her family would be in danger again. Relaxing someone and lulling them takes less energy and she needs her energy if she confronts someone that would attack her or if she confronted the Snow Queen. I feel like there's also something very sinister about the fact that Piper, eventually, could have that much power that her music could affect everyone the way it did, so quickly and powerfully, that she had that much power over them and likely DOES have some semblance of that power inside her without the curse. She could cause so much chaos in the town without a curse on her that to realize how easily she'd gotten them all asleep might be chilling to some.

And also, it would show, to some, the misunderstanding of Sirens being these vile, villainous, evil creatures in how she _could_ have just rampaged, but even under the darkest sort of curse, her family still came first. It would prove a point to some not to mistrust her if, instead of turning into a savage like the rest did, her sole focus was her family. I also really wanted her to be able to 'stick it' to the Snow Queen in that she had this elaborate and devious plot to cause a bloodbath, and one single person with a wooden pipe that should have, by her reckoning, turned the most violent of all...stopped it and put everyone to sleep. It would also explain the lack of a body count that the show gave us too ;)

For Robin though, that was something I really wanted to explore if someone came across him. What would HIS darkness be like? I feel like it would be assumed that he'd want to go after Regina, for 'killing' his wife and all that. But seeing Regina continue to call Robin her true love even under that spell and get SO angry at Emma when she used Robin to hurt her, after all the pain that Robin caused her (in picking Marian), to see her not even consider or think to hunt him down and make him hurt...it made me curious if it was a soulmate thing. We saw Snowing turn on each other and they are true loves, what if the soulmate bond went much deeper to the point where, even at their darkest, they still loved the other, in a twisted sort of way? If Regina didn't even consider going after Robin, maybe Robin wouldn't have considered going after Regina. But if he didn't go after her, then who else would he target?

And that was where the sort of 'dark/twisted' love came in. What if, because Regina is his soulmate, he would have wanted to go after Marian instead, what if, under the spell, his darkest thoughts were to take the obstacle keeping him from his soulmate out? And, it fit with Piper's uncaring for her life and desire to see it ended, let him go and do it.

The show made the curse seem like it would be the WORST thing ever, that people would be truly the darkest they could ever be...yet all we got was Snowing bickering and David calling Kristoff Iceman? Was one of the Dwarves shouting at another to talk? Was Henry calling Hook dirty? Really? Under the curse, people might expect that Robin would think badly of Regina, because of the whole 'dungeon' thing with his wife, but that's not really dark is it? If you expect it, if you figure that he'd be angry about it, it's not really dark but normal. If he chose Marian instead to target, now THAT is dark, to want her out of the picture, to want his wife gone so that he could be with the Evil Queen? THAT is truly dark and evil and the worst of it all }:)

For Snow, I really wanted Piper to confront her, just to see what she'd say. I debated if Piper would attack Snow back but she's going through the whole town, putting people to sleep to keep Snow safe and she's aware there's a curse on the woman. I couldn't see her attacking Snow but more laughing because she knows it's a curse making her say that and that the woman is still her family and she's doing all this to protect her so she wouldn't just attack her. I feel like, at her worst and knowing Snow's being manipulated by a curse that's forcing her to see people as evil and dark, she'd be more amused by the words coming out of Snow White's mouth. And it might just be amusing, to her, to see Snow sort of grovel and apologize later ;)

And, lastly, the death of the Snow Queen, I feel like it wasn't really changing much to have Piper end her instead of Emma or Elsa as Emma and Elsa DIDN'T do it in the show either. I felt like the entire plot by the Snow Queen didn't really make sense and that her ending was ok in the show, but a little lacking a sort of epic confrontation. With Regina knocked out, there was no reason for Anna to be at the beach and find the letter from her mother (which we'll see in the next episode-chapter, along with talk of the lost memories for Elsa and Emma), there was no reason for her to confront the Snow Queen. There was no reason for the Snow Queen then to apologize or realize the 'error of her way' and all that. Which left only one option, she had to go to end the curse. Piper is at her darkest now, she's not going to care if the Snow Queen begs, if Emma pleads with her, if anyone tries to stop her. This woman attacked her family, manipulated her true love, cursed her cousin and put her entire family in danger, and, on top of that, was threatening to take her niece away...and she wouldn't care about anything else if it meant stopping the Snow Queen. She was genuinely surprised that she was able to get the woman's heart out of her, she really did expect that only Emma and Elsa could stop her, but she saw an opening, she went for it, and it was working, so she wasn't going to stop. The Snow Queen was the biggest threat to her family, so the Siren took her out }:)

Some notes on reviews...

Oh no, I think she should have killed them too lol :) It definitely has a part in the near-removal of her magic for why she didn't attack back yup ;) Charming sort of knows that his brother had captured Piper, and he knows she was hurt while there, but he doesn't really know the full reasons behind it or her time there and Piper isn't willing to talk about that with him, especially when he looks like James :( Eventually he'll find out about what she went through yup, though when I was writing this story, it seems more like that bonding between her and David will come out in Season 5 }:) I don't enjoy it...but I sort of enjoy the reactions to it though, which is probably a little evil lol :) That's cool, usually the actress isn't 100% how I see an OC, just the closest I can picture :)

I can say that I do have a character planned for the future that's already 'mad' and there will be talk in the past of how she became so and how it grew more apparent as she got older though. She'll have a more subtle madness than another character in that story, but I also want to show, with her, as it's Doctor Who, how it can change and come across in different forms with each regeneration which will be very interesting to get into the head of and see how the same thing displays and appears differently with each personality :)


	20. All Ashore

All Ashore

King Ethan stood at the shores of the small cove, a familiar location to him by now, one he was sure that he would be able to find in his sleep he had come there so often. Not as often as he would have liked, it was difficult to manage sneaking out of a kingdom, especially as the king, but being king meant he knew the layout of the castle, he knew a particular hidden passage behind a tapestry in the throne room that led outside the walls of the castle itself, something he made use of frequently just to get where he was right now.

He fought valiantly against a smile threatening to form on his face as he pulled a small object from his pocket and tossed it into the water, waiting only moments before he began to see the rippling of the water in the moon's reflection, a full moon, much like the moon that had hung in the sky the first night he had come to the cove. He watched, as fascinated as he always was, to see the pale hair rising out of the water, the face that followed, the striking dark eyes of the Siren he had somehow managed to summon each and every time he so much as tossed a pebble into the waters.

"Ilayda," he breathed, the smiling winning his fight as he looked upon the woman before him.

She was a sight to behold, as youthful and beautiful as ever, not having aged a day in the year that he'd been coming to that spot to speak with her, at first to beg of her to drown him, to try and trick her into the very act, to try and tempt her and taunt her and…then…to just…talk to her as, despite her vows to keep him away from her family, to keep his threat from reaching her home, she still came to see him each time.

"A pearl?" she held up the small, shining object in her hand, examining it in the moonlight, before she looked at him, "Why throw this to me?"

He took a few steps closer to the shore, Ilayda mirroring his actions as she drew nearer, holding out the pearl to him to return, but he shook his head, holding up his hand for her to keep it, "The most beautiful of jewels from the sea," his eyes twinkled as he observed her, "For the most beautiful jewel of the sea."

Ilayda blinked at that, lowering her arm, "You speak such foolish words."

"You speak such long ones," he countered, unable to help but chuckle at that. She had a habit, he'd noticed of not shortening her words, of using a full set of them, such as saying 'do not' instead of 'don't,' it was endearing to him in a way that, he was sure, others would find less than appealing.

Ilayda was quiet a long while, observing him, watching him almost like a predator that was expecting to be attacked, yet not appearing fearful at all, "Why do you come for me?" she asked him after the silence grew too much for her, she needed sound, she needed noise, the quiet was too…uneasy in her ears, "Why do you insist on seeking me out? Summoning me?"

"I have not the power to summon you," Ethan shook his head, chuckling inwardly at how he was starting to sound like her, talking long ways instead of short, "I merely toss an object and yet you always see fit to return it to me."

"I will not have you polluting and filling my cove with rubbish," her eyes narrowed, growing defensive at the implication that she was being kind to him in returning his objects.

"Always you though?" he eyed her, "Never any of your clan?"

"I warned them away from this cove," she nearly hissed at him, "I warned them away from you, land-walker, they shall not draw near here in their lifetimes."

"Yet you stay," Ethan was smiling now.

Ilayda's brows scrunched for a moment, thrown by his reaction, by his…happiness at that fact, "I stay to keep them safe."

"Hmm…" he hummed, considering that, "No, I don't think you do."

"You know nothing of me."

"I think I know a fair bit by now," he looked at her gently, "You stay here, when you have no need to. You rise to the surface each time I toss you something in the water. You never tried to harm me after that first attempt, you don't depart after you've brought me my object, you…talk to me. You speak to me instead of attempting to drown me…"

"I have already stated the reason," she almost growled, "You pose me no challenge, no value, if you throw your life away so easily. If it is worthless to you it is worthless to me."

"I'm still alive," he held his arms out.

"I know not what you…"

"You KNOW that I don't wish for death any longer," he cut in, speaking so…easily that he could have been commenting on the weather. He looked at her, really looked at her, seeing that she wasn't disagreeing, "You know I would struggle now, you know I would fight. Yet you make no move to drown me, even though," he stepped closer, till he was as close as he could be to her, his boots feeling the lap of the waves over them, "I am within reach, even though I was closer than this many times before," he looked into her eyes, "And even now, you hesitate. Why?"

"You would not struggle," she argued, "If I were to seize you now, you would let me."

For some reason unknown to her, he smiled, "I would."

"Why?"

"Because it is YOU."

"Then it still poses no challenge to me."

"No," he shook his head, "That isn't the reason, and you know it."

Her eyes flashed dangerously, "Do not presume to understand what I know or do not."

"I will presume," he nodded, "Because I know exactly the same thing that you do."

"And what is that?"

"That I love you."

Ilayda didn't even notice the silence that fell from his words as she took a single step back towards the sea, staring at him, her mouth pursed, but her eyes wide…and he just stood there, smiling away, "You do not."

"I do."

"No, you do not."

"I DO."

"No…"

"Ilayda," he reached out, managing to catch her hand as she tried to step back once more, looking down at it as she stilled, allowing his thumb to brush over the back of her skin, it was smooth, if cold, to the touch. He smiled at that and looked back at her, "I love you, I do. I truly do. And I know, as surely as I feel it, that you do as well."

Her lips were pressed so tightly together that they nearly disappeared.

"THAT is the reason you have not tried to drown me," he continued, "That is the reason why you speak to me, why you remain here, waiting, why you rise to return these…useless trinkets to me. It is why you come here and stay every night with me."

"Not every night," was her weak reply.

"Then you notice the nights I am not here," he reached out to touch her cheek as she looked away, "Ilayda, I love you."

"Stop saying that," she glared at him.

"Never," he squeezed her hand, "Tell me," he dared her, "Tell me you do not feel the same, and I shall leave and never return."

The third round of silence that fell at his threat was answer enough.

"You can't do it, can you?" he lightly teased, knowing not to push her, "I come here, every night, because it allows me to see YOU. I throw these odds and ends into the water because I know YOU will return them and speak to me. I…I have no desire to die," he finished, "For it would mean not being able to see you, ever again, and that…that would be a worse fate than mere death."

Ilayda let out a shallow breath at that, sensing the truth in his words, seeing it in the eyes that were staring right into hers.

"And you come for the same reason," he nodded to himself, "You come, alone, without your clan, to see me. They stay away so that only you will be here for me. You…" he hesitated a moment, guessing at this, "You do not wish the others to be here for you know, if they were to come upon me, they _would_ take me as their prey. You are protecting ME as well, and a Siren only protects those they love."

She looked away at that but didn't deny it, which was all he needed to know.

"Is it not fate," he mused idly, "That the one I meant to take my life, is the one that has given me it back?"

"It means nothing," she murmured, forcing herself to look back at him, "Nothing can come of this besides heartbreak."

"No," he stepped closer to her, more into the sea, "There is a way," he began, though his expression grew grim, "But it is too much to ask of you."

"Would not I be the better judge of that?"

His smile turned sad, "Marry me."

She blinked at that, but remained silent.

"Come with me," he elaborated, "And marry me. Be my wife, let me be your husband."

"We cannot," she shook her head, he could swear he saw a hint of tears in her eyes, "I cannot leave the sea. I cannot leave my family!"

Not even to find a family in him, she just…they were her clan!

But this man…he was right, he HAD become important to her, someone she cared for, someone she…loved. She didn't know how he'd done it. He had irritated her at first, she had been suspicious of him, had done all she could to drive him away, yet he continued to come back. At first she had thought it was the stubbornness of humans, that he had selected HER to be his executioner and would not stop till she had done the deed…but slowly, it had begun to change. He started to speak to her more, treat her as…as a sentient being, as a being at all. He talked, he debated, he argued, he shared with her his struggles and the weight of his crown. A time or two she may have offered him stone cold and blunt advice from her perspective…and he always returned with overwhelming thanks that her words had helped him settle a matter. They talked about nothing and everything, she even found herself offering information she had sworn never to tell a land-walker.

She began to trust him.

She began to respect him.

She began to care for him…

She began to love him.

And now he was offering her his love, his heart…but her clan…they had been her family for so long, to leave them was unthinkable. Nothing was more important than the bonds of family to a Siren, and she could not abandon them, not even for her heart.

"I am sorry," she whispered to him, before she let go of his hands and turned, rushing back to the sea, not daring to look back at the man and see the expression on his face as she fled from him and his offer of love.

~8~

Ilayda drifted in the sea, her mind and heart in turmoil as she tried to force all thoughts of Ethan out of her mind. She was a Siren, she was not meant for a land-walker, it should be easy to erase him from her thoughts…yet it wasn't. Sirens did not love easily. They loved their families, yes, but to find a mate, a love, of their own was difficult and took time, or so it was said. Perhaps it was because other Sirens were just as cautious to allow love into their hearts as well, to trust another Siren with their families. It wasn't like that with Ethan, her family was far from the cove, there was no way he would know where they were or be able to harm them. He had had an entire year of meeting with her, yet no harm had come to her clan nor even herself. He was a human that did not wish to harm them, but wanted to understand HER. He posed no threat to her family so long as they stayed away from the cove and they would. He was easy to trust, in a way, he had been willing to give his own life so he did not value his own family in a way that would cause him to pick them over her and her own…

But could a man that was so willing to leave his family be trusted with a new one? With one from…from her? From them?

She shook her head, he had claimed that SHE had made him different, he claimed he loved her, and if he did, if he loved her in a way where he thought they could be together, where he would fight for her…and what other love was there for a king who wished to take a Siren for his Queen?...then maybe it meant he would value THEIR family over his own, that he could be trusted with her heart or perhaps children…

Her clan though, she could not just abandon them, and all these thoughts plaguing her were doing her head in. She was sure that some of her sisters and aunts had noticed her melancholy. She was going to one of them now, her eldest aunt, the matriarch of her line and the one that had all say over when a Siren could leave the clan to being a clan of their own with their chosen mate. She wasn't planning to leave, not yet, but she needed to talk to someone and, surely her aunt had heard tell of other such pairings, a Siren and a land-walker? She had heard rumors of some mermaids doing the same, perhaps there was a legend of what would happen if a Siren were to choose a mate on land? She doubted there were any though, unlike Mermaids, Sirens were forbidden to leave the sea, the sea was what tethered them to their magic.

She drifted down, deeper into the see, moving for an underground cave that had an airpocket in it. It would be private, where others would go so that their voices didn't carry upon the waves and to others through the waters. The air was notorious for holding secrets, just as the water was notorious for holding the songs of others away from ears above it.

She had just been about to surface, having seen her aunt from below, when she realized the woman was not alone, there was another Siren with her, one of her cousins, and kept her head below, moving behind a large rock in the center of the cave to listen. Had she been outside the cave she wouldn't have been able to hear anything, but being in water so close to them, she could make out what they were saying without fear of them hearing her song. Above water songs could be heard but only if the other was above the water as well, below, the water tended to mute it. She would have swam away, would have left the two women to speak in the privacy they desired…had it not been for hearing her own name echo through the room.

"She is not herself," her cousin was saying, "She partakes in no hunts, she captures no prey…it is as though her mind has departed her."

"I see it too, child," her aunt intoned, "I have had your sister keeping eyes on her."

Ilayda's eyes widened at that.

"What she has told me, disturbs me greatly."

"What is it?" her cousin whispered.

"Ilayda has taken to visiting the cove," her aunt began, solemn…disappointed, "She speaks with a land-walker."

"Ilayda would not…she ordered us away from the cove."

"For that reason, so she might continue to meet with her land-walker," her aunt's voice grew dangerous, "She has not been the same since she has visited him. Surely you have noticed this?"

Her cousin must have nodded at that, "She…is different."

"She is too different," her aunt muttered, "Especially now. She is despondent, depressed, ill at ease…I fear for her. I fear that the land-walker has done something to addle her."

"But what? Our magic protects our minds and…"

"Our minds, yes, but not our hearts."

Her cousin gasped, "You do not believe…"

"I believe he is stealing hers, he is stealing her away from us. He means to hunt us down, to destroy us, and use Ilayda to lead him to us. He is corrupting her, tricking her, and I will not stand for my family to be used in such a way!"

"Ilayda would never let him harm us though," her cousin defended, "She loves us, we are her clan."

Her aunt was silent for a long while, and Ilayda almost dared to hope that the woman was considering her cousin's words and realizing the truth in them, that they were safe, that they would find no danger from her, that she would NOT lead to harm to her family…

"I fear she loves him as well," her aunt spoke, disgust in her words, "She loves a land-walker. She has selected him for her mate."

"How is that possible?" her cousin cried, the horror in her voice cutting Ilayda to the core.

"Your cousin has listened to their songs," her aunt spoke, "They blend. He is her true love."

Ilayda's let out a silent gasp at that confirmation. A siren could not hear their own song, they had to rely on their family, when they found a potential mate, to tell them if their songs blended in harmony or created a cacophony. They trusted their families to tell them the truth of such a serious matter as love. It was a matter dealt with with solemnity and respect and great care, for a Siren to find their mate in all the sea. Their songs had to blend for the matriarchs to allow their clan members to branch out and create a clan of their own.

To find out that hers and Ethan's actually blended, that HE was her true love despite being a land-walker…it was…

She didn't know.

She truly didn't. There was no way she would be able to continue with him. To leave the sea would be to leave her family, her clan, to never be allowed to return until her death, when her spirit would return to the sea from which she came and become part of the foam upon the waves…

If she left now, she would be cutting all ties to her family, she would be shunned, she would be cast out essentially. To leave the sea was to leave everything, even her magic behind. There would be no return, no reconciliation, her family would look upon her as though she had given them the ultimate betrayal to leave them for the land. It was one thing to find another Siren as a mate, to choose them and branch out, extend the clan and add to it, they were still around, they were still in the ocean, their children would know their family and their family the children, they were still together in a broader sense…

Land was a place no other Siren would choose to go, no place they could go without risking automatic banishment.

If she left, if she chose Ethan, she would be betraying her clan…

But her aunt's next words made the decision to do just that all too easy…

"We must ensure Ilayda is no longer tempted by this creature," her aunt declared, "I will not see my family torn apart, my niece betrayed, by a land-walker."

Ilayda froze at that, there was…there was no way her aunt could have just said that, not about her true love!

"But…if this man is the one her song blends with…" her cousin seemed hesitant.

"She will find a new song-mate," her aunt brushed it off, "The sea is vast, there must be one within our own people that can match her song than a disgusting land-walker. He will corrupt her, turn her from us, and I will not see my family torn apart because of him."

Ilayda closed her eyes, feeling her body shaking at the venom in her aunt's words. She reached up to her chest, pressing her hand against it as her heart thumped painfully in her chest.

They were going to kill Ethan.

Her family, her clan, was going to try and murder her true love.

And for what? So she wouldn't leave them? Because they thought her so weak willed or feeble minded as to fall for a trap? They thought he would destroy them, cause her to betray them…but they were doing it all on their own. They were going to kill her true love without even telling her he was her song-mate!

She gasped, hunching over as she felt the pounding in her heart grow more painful, there was a coldness setting into her, coming from her heart, her eyes flew open as she realized what was happening.

"No…" she breathed, shaking her head, but her heart wouldn't stop its painful pounding.

Her hand curled into a fist in the fabric above her heart, her other hand digging into the rock behind her as she shook, as she felt the cold seeping into every poor, every bone, every inch of her. She could feel it, her heart was hardening…

And it was hardening against her family.

She squeezed her eyes shut at the pain of it, hunching over in on herself as the pounding started to grow agonizing. A Siren's family was everything to them, and now her own was turning against her, willing to massacre her true love just to keep her in the ocean instead of celebrating that she'd found a song-mate. They were turning on her, they were planning to harm her, to take away her love…to kill him before she could even express the love she did feel to him.

Her eyes snapped open, a hardness in them, and slowly released her chest, straightening under the water as the cold settled in her very soul. She looked up, through the water, to her aunt and cousin no doubt plotting how they would get to Ethan, and felt her lip curl into a snarl at the mere sight of them.

All the love she had felt, all the compassion, all the loyalty to her clan that had been her driving force for all her life…was gone.

Replaced only with a feeling of betrayal, of disinterest, of…apathy, sheer and utter apathy for their fate.

Why should she stay there? Why stay among the ones who would betray her in such a cruel way as to murder her true love? Why care for them? Why give them any loyalty at all? Why show them any love?

They deserved NOTHING.

She should kill them for this betrayal, she should…she could feel it inside her, the very real assurance that she would, undoubtedly, do just that…if only she had the time. Everything inside her had twisted and warped, the concern and love for them now bitter hatred and anger. She would do it, she would slaughter them all, or die trying, for their plots against her love…but she couldn't. Because they WERE plotting, and time was of the essence to get back to Ethan, to tell him she had no ties to the sea, that the only love in her heart existed just for him.

She had to go now, to get there before any of her clan realized what had happened, before they could attack him themselves.

She would not let her true love be harmed, not because of her, not from her family, not from anything, ever again.

~8~

Ethan sighed as he stood at the edge of the shore to the cove, looking at the calm waters. He had tossed in a small ring with a pearl fixed into the top of it, modest, by lovely, simple. That had been hours ago and there was no ripple, no sign that Ilayda would rise and greet him. He had come back the very next night, not caring if he was spotted, just needing to get to the cove as quickly as he could…and it had been hours now. There was still nothing. He didn't know if Sirens followed human customs, he hadn't spoken or dared speak of the mating rituals of Sirens, wasn't sure if he wanted to know if she had a mate or how that worked…but he knew that the ring he'd tossed, to him, was a sign of engagement, of betrothal. He wanted her to have it, even if she didn't want him.

He could just feel it inside of him, how his heart beat for her, quite literally. He had been so ready to throw his life away that first night, and it was only because of her, because of her constant appearance, her constant refusal to allow it to happen (even after he wanted to live again), her time with him, that he had started to want to keep going, for her. She had been the thing that pulled him out of the darkness, had helped him cope, seeing her, being with her was…indescribable. He knew, without a doubt, that he loved her with all his heart and there would be no other woman in his life but her.

Let the people complain about him not producing an heir or taking a wife, let them. Leopold and Eva were already with child, let Leopold's child be heir to both kingdoms if need be.

He just wanted Ilayda, her or no other.

He nodded to himself as he looked up, as though realizing the sun was starting to rise. It appeared he'd been there much longer than he'd originally thought he was, had been staring at the water longer than a mere few hours if the night had already started to break into morning.

He had promised himself, if Ilayda did not rise this night, after he had tossed in the ring, that he would take it as a sign of her wishes to be away from him, to not see him. For her words had implied that, while he hadn't been able to come to the cove every night, SHE had. If she was not there this night, he knew it would mean she would not be there ever again. And he promised he would respect her desires, step away, allow her to live her life with her clan and not seek her out.

It hurt, it hurt so terribly to know that, when he turned his back and walked away, it would not just be the last time coming to his small sanctuary, but the last time seeing his angel of salvation as well.

He took a breath, looking at the sea, "I love you, Ilayda," he said one final time, before turning to walk away.

"And I you."

He stopped suddenly, a few paces away from the shore at the sound of Ilayda's voice, and turned to see her already risen and walking towards the edge of the shore, stopping just at the line of the water. His breath was stolen from him as he saw her, for the first time, in the daylight, in the sunlight, instead of the moon…and silently cursed himself for never staying long enough to witness such a breathtaking event. If he thought she was lovely in the pale light of the moon, it was nothing compared to her radiance in the light of the sun.

"Ilayda…" he breathed, taking a stunned step towards her, moving quickly after the first step to stop right before her, "I feared you would not come."

"I feared what would become of you if I did not," she countered, a hint of a smile on her face, "I…found a rather odd trinket on my rise," she looked down at her hand as she opened it to reveal his ring sitting on her palm, "I know not the meaning of this."

He smiled at that, reaching out to put one hand under her own, his other hesitantly touching her cheek before drifting under her chin to lift her face to look at her, "Among my people, it is a sign of a serious courtship, a contract," he began, "It is a symbol of love and intent to wed."

"To mate?" she tilted her head.

"Yes," he accepted.

"You do not just…mate?"

"We could," he smirked at her, a teasing note in his voice that had suddenly gone deeper, "But my people consider it improper to do so before being wed."

She seemed a little confused by the difference between wed and mate, but nodded, "And this," she lifted her hand, the ring between her first finger and thumb, "Is a sign of acceptance to…wed?"

"Yes," he nodded, swallowing hard, "It means that two people agree to be together, forever, and take no other as a…mate," he offered.

She nodded slowly at that, "And I wear this?"

His heart stopped, "If you accept."

She looked at the ring, before looking up at him, "I know not which…"

She didn't even get a chance to finish that she didn't know which finger to put it on before he'd snatched it and slid it onto her left ring finger, grinning at her as heh held her left hand, not about to let it go.

"You…you love me?" he shook his head at her, "Truly?"

She nodded, smiling a bit as she looked up at his eyes, eyes that were shining with love, for her, and could feel her heart harden more in her chest at how her so-called family was going to take that away from her, "I do."

He beamed at that, "I don't know what to do next," he admitted, though there as admittedly quite a lot to do after this step…namely tell his own family he was getting married…to a Siren…

"I do," she repeated, looking down at the water she was still standing in. She took a deep breath, squeezing his left hand…

And stepped out of the water, her bare feet touching the sand for the very first time.

She took another breath, feeling an odd…warmth settle in her even as she also felt as though something were unraveling around her. She couldn't feel it any longer, the sea, the pull of it, the coldness of it…she couldn't feel her family either, that warm pressure she always held in her heart though she wasn't sure if it was because her heart had hardened against them or because she was now cut from them as cut from her magic.

But she found, as she looked back at Ethan, who was gazing at her with such a wondering, devoted expression…that she felt something else, something so much better.

Love.

She gave the sea one final look, before firmly turning away, allowing him to lead her away from the waters, away from the cove, away from her clan…and towards a new life, and a new love, with him.

A/N: Aww, Poor Ilayda and her clan, but yay for Ethan! :) I sort of wanted to show what drove a full-blooded Siren to leave her entire clan and give up her magic and her home just for Ethan, partly love...partly her family turning on her first :(

Some notes on reviews...

I can say that Robin came very, very close to finding Marian, but didn't manage to do it before the curse was broken ;) Oh my god, that part disturbs me like you would not believe! It's rape and the part that bothers me is that the writers are actually defending it and not calling it what it is, from what I've seen, which is upsetting :( I can say though that, depending what they do with Season 5 (and I'm hoping they DO something about it in Season 5) that I have at least 3 twists for my 3 OCs that will take care of that little issue and, hopefully, make it a little more bearable if the show doesn't fix it first ;) I can't say if she is or isn't, but I can say that we'll find out which it might be before the end of the story ;)

I felt the Snow Queen's 'redemption' was a little forced too, she spent the entire half a season building up this insane plot...and then just stopped after a letter? :/ I can say that I plan to stay pretty true to the show with the last moments of the show ;) I have a lot planned for Piper in Season 5, a lot of the next half of the story is going to be pretty heavy for Piper to deal with, especially with Snow, so the season 4 finale twist will be very meaningful and impactful because of it in the story :)

Oh I still have something painful planned for Hook }:) And Anna's reaction to Gold being there and seeing him just focus on Piper will come up yup ;)

I'm pretty ok with Season 4, some parts felt a little rushed and it felt like WAY too much background scenes that were necessary for a good story telling were cut out because of cramming so much into half a season :/ But overall I thought it was good :) I'm more dreading Season 5 due to a few plots, not the Emma-going-dark plot (though it confuses me because if her parents sucked out all her darkness, then wouldn't the new darkness just balance her out?) but more the Robin and Zelena one :/ But I'm going to wait till Season 5 to see how it goes and try to trust the writers have something up their sleeves :)

Oh Piper will definitely be bringing up that she was NOT showing Mercy to anyone in the next chapter, she'll be making it very, very clear to everyone that, if she had the energy, they would all be dead right now instead of just put to sleep lol :) There will be a little bit of the curse playing in for what Snow said, but I agree, it's a definite balance between what she actually thinks/feels and what the curse might have made her think even worse of. Piper believes it was the curse, but the events of the next half of the season will have her questioning just how much of it was what her cousin really thinks }:) Lol, I think Hook was thinking, HE could protect Henry from the murderers on the street, and get him to his ship for safety, and afterwards Emma would think he was a hero for protecting her kid...though he would have also had to explain how he even got Henry to safety or why HE was able to fight the curse to protect someone, I don't think he quite thought that far ahead lol :) That's cool with me ;) I wish you the best on your story! :) But awww, I wish I had a cat, if only 3 out of 5 people in my family weren't allergic :( Lol, I keep threatening them that, when I move out one day, I'm going to get a cat just so they can't just pop in to visit me unannounced, because I'd have to clean and spray some freshener and put the cat in another room or something and need time...unless they want to be sneezing the entire time lol :) My brother's dog, Chip, is like that, he's a puggle and if he sees you sitting down anywhere he can jump, he'll jump up and lay right across your lap, or sit on you with his paws on your chest and make you pet him first :)


	21. Heroes and Villains

Heroes and Villains

It was the dull beeping noise that first roused Piper to consciousness, the second was the scent of bleach wafting to her nose and burning it, though it took quite a lot of effort to manage to even blink her eyes open to see where she was. The hospital, in Storybrooke. She frowned at that, her head fuzzy and feeling jumbled, trying to remember WHY she was there…the last thing she could recall was Emma transporting the three of them back to town, seeing her cousin and Gold, her family, safe before…nothing.

She took a breath and turned her head to the side, blinking once when she saw Gold sitting in a chair beside her bead, his head bowed and resting on his cane, seeming as though he were trying to sleep but not wanting to sleep at the same time.

"Rummy?" she tried to speak, wincing at how badly her throat hurt.

It was enough though, despite how quiet and crackling her voice was, for him to jolt up, "Pip," he breathed, sliding the chair closer to her, reaching out to take her hand as it laid above her hospital sheet.

"What…" she swallowed hard, Gold immediately turning to pick up a cup beside the bed, leaning in to help her drink the water. It burned her throat a bit, but it helped, "What happened?"

"You collapsed."

She gave him a look at that, "I gathered. But…here?"

He let out a long breath, "Your heart stopped Pip."

THAT was something she was not expecting, "…truly?"

He nodded slowly, swallowing hard, "You fell under the effects of the Shattered Sight, do you remember?" she nodded.

"I played."

"Yes," he agreed, resting his hand on hers and curling his fingers around her own, "You put the town to sleep, should have killed them," he muttered and she nodded at that, she could remember wanting to, "When Emma and Elsa when to confront the Snow Queen…"

"I killed her," Piper scrunched her face, thinking of that, "Her heart…"

He nodded, smirking a bit, "You made me very proud Pip," he lifted her hand to press a kiss to the back of it, "Ripped out her heart and crushed it right in front of her."

"How?" she shook her head, "Light magic…"

"Could break the Shattered Sight spell, yes," he agreed, "But it is hardly light magic to kill someone. While she, Emma, and Elsa still had those ribbons on, nothing could touch her, not light or dark magic. But after they were destroyed she was vulnerable. And you took full advantage of that."

"I did not expect it to work," she admitted, "I…saw her…I saw her standing before Emma," she coughed a bit, Gold quickly helping her take another sip, "She was going to take my family away."

He nodded slowly, "I understand Pip, you have nothing to explain to me in that regard. I would have killed her long before the curse happened had it not been for our deal."

"What happened after?"

He grew serious then, quiet, "Emma returned you and Elsa to town, the counter curse was falling in the snow…you collapsed," she gave him a pointed look, telling him she knew there was more to it than that. He let out a long breath, "While under the curse your magic operated as though that of a full-blooded Siren, it was amplified and magnified by the darkness of the spell. It gave you the power to put the town to sleep. But when the effects wore off, when the curse was broken," he shook his head, "Your body couldn't handle the sudden drop in energy and magic. You used too much Pip, and it nearly killed you."

"Imagine if I HAD killed them then," she murmured.

"In this case…I am glad the streets were not running red with the blood of your victims," he echoed her words from that night, squeezing her hand once more, "It nearly killed you, Pip," he repeated.

"I am still here, Rummy," she turned her hand over and squeezed his back.

"You were fading quickly," he continued, "We transported you here, they had to use mortal means to revive you you depleted your magic and energy so badly not even magic could help. _I_ couldn't help…"

"I made the choice to succumb to the curse," Piper squeezed his hand harder, "It was MY choice."

"And I nearly lost you," he looked at her, serious, "Do not _ever_ do that to me again Pip. I never wish to see you in a bed like this ever."

"I do not wish to be here, either," she gave him a small smile, "When might I leave?"

Whatever answer Gold was about to give was cut off by the startled, excited gasp in the doorway of the room.

"Aunt P!" Henry beamed, dropping the teddy bear that had a balloon tied to it where he stood to run to her side and hug her tightly.

"Rose?!" came Mary Margaret's voice from the hall, having seen Henry rush in and ran to the doorway as well, "Rose!" she smiled, tears coming to her eyes as she hurried to her cousin's side, hugging her as Henry stepped back, nearly sobbing apologies into her shoulder as Piper stroked her hair.

"Snow, it is fine…" she tried to get Mary Margaret to stop, but the woman pulled back, a look of such guilt and horror on her face.

"No, it's not," Mary Margaret shook her head, "I said such…such horrible things," her face scrunched in sorrow, "Under the curse and before it and…and you nearly died Rose!"

"It was the curse, Snow," she pulled her cousin closer again, hugging her back, actually feeling for the first time as though she were the elder of the two, which she technically was now, "It was merely the curse…"

Mary Margaret sniffled, "I'm sorry," she murmured, "I'm still so sorry…"

"As am I," Piper pulled away, touching Mary Margaret's cheek, wiping a tear from her eye, "I struggle," she admitted, "To be compassionate, considerate…I should have spoken with you sooner, we both should have spoken after all of this…"

"And we will," Mary Margaret promised, taking her free hand, "I swear, when…when you're out of here and better, once all this…this ice magic is dealt with, we'll talk. Elsa and Anna are trying to find a way back to Arendelle, we may need to help them and, once we do, when that's all settled, we are going to sit down and talk, about everything."

Piper smiled at that, "I would like that very much," she glanced over and smiled at Henry, "Henry…" she reached out to him, pulling her hand from Gold's grip to do so, though Gold was smiling at her despite it, "Are you well?"

"Now that you are," Henry nodded, "I was worried Aunt P."

"My apologies for frightening you," she looked around, "All of you," before her gaze turned to Mary Margaret once more, "I could not allow her curse to harm my family."

"I know," Mary Margaret nodded, meaning it, "And…we really have to thank you," she laughed, "You were a hero last night!"

"Urg," Piper's face scrunched in disgust at the word as she laid back on her bed, "Never call me that Snow."

"But you were!" she insisted, "You saved the town singlehandedly! Literally! You put everyone to sleep before they could seriously hurt others and then you took stopped the Snow Queen."

Piper noted how she said stopped instead of killed, but brushed it off, "Snow, as much as you wish to think me a hero, know this. The ONLY reason your subjects slept instead of died from my music was that the energy it would take to end them in such a manner would be too much for a town this size. Had I the energy, a majority of this town _would_ be dead. Do not hold me to a standard that I had no intention of reaching."

"Rose…" Mary Margaret sighed, "Can't you just let me call you a hero this once?"

"A hero is selfless," Piper shook her head, "What I did was purely selfish."

"You defeated the Snow Queen!" she argued.

"I KILLED the Snow Queen," Piper corrected, "I reached into her chest, ripped out her heart, and crushed it. That is hardly heroic. And I did it not to save your precious town, but to protect my family, a select few out of the many. I would have killed them all myself had I thought I would have the strength. It was purely luck that the town fell to slumber than to death. And it was purely my desire to see my family alone safe that ended the Snow Queen. Do not call me what I am not."

Mary Margaret frowned but gave a small nod, "Fine," she huffed.

"Many thanks."

"You should know though," Henry began, a small smirk on his face, "Some people in town are calling you a hero anyway."

"Wonderful," Piper groaned, flopping back onto her bed.

"David is," Mary Margaret offered, David had been…surprisingly concerned when Piper had collapsed, had been the one to shake Dr. Whale awake and shove him towards the hospital to ensure Piper would be cared for as there were only a handful of nurses still in the building when they arrived, "I think he's had a change of heart about you Rosie."

"Shall I torture him a bit to change it back then?"

Mary Margaret, despite Piper's words, just laughed.

~8~

Gold looked up as he stood in his shop, gathering the items he would need for that night, for his attempt to free himself of his dagger. Piper was still in the hospital, but Henry was with her. Piper had insisted he go, knowing that he needed to prepare for that night despite the fact that she may have swayed Whale to let her leave the hospital before she should. She did not want to be there, the man would have kept her there overnight and she refused to miss all their hard work coming to fruition. It had taken more out of her than it should have, she'd admitted after the fact, swaying Whale, but it was likely just a result of the curse, of using so much of her energy the night before. But she wanted out.

Henry had offered to walk back with her, insisting that it was HIS turn to protect his Aunt the way she had protected him (and the town, even if he wouldn't say that last one out loud).

So he had gone, and was hoping to get it all together with haste so that he might be able to get back to Piper faster. He smirked when he saw the person he'd summoned walk in the door, seeming to struggle with his efforts, as though a pain were gripping him…which it was. He WAS squeezing Hook's heart in his hand that very moment.

"They didn't leave," Hook groaned out, "The Snow Queen mucked up the border…" he winced, "Once you cross, there's no c coming back."

Gold sighed, "It almost makes me wish the Snow Queen had succeeded," he murmured, almost being the operative word, "Everything would be much simpler."

"Yes," Hook glared, "Perfect cover for my unfortunate demise," he nearly spat, "But everybody survived. Ironically thanks to your little fish."

Gold squeezed the heart at that, after what had nearly happened to Piper last night, he was in NO mood for any insult to her no matter how small. He waited will the pain drove Hook to his knees before he let up, "What about our friends from Arendelle?"

"They're still searching for a portal back," Hook gasped, struggling to breathe, "They're determined to return," he glanced up at Gold, "Their land has been seized, they're eager to return home."

It wasn't all. Before Elsa had taken down the icewall, she, Anna, and Emma had gone to the beach to see if there might be anything left there that might help create a way back to Arendelle, some kind of residual magic, enough to make a portal of some sort should the ice wall fail to come down. They had found a bottle with a letter from the princesses' mother that apparently detailed what had happened with the Snow Queen. It told how the Queen, Ingrid, HAD been their aunt, how she had ice powers like Elsa but that she'd hidden it instead of embraced her sister's ability. Until tragedy had struck and she'd locked her sister in the urn. She begged her daughters to use a purple stone on the page to return the memories of her sisters to the people of their kingdom and beg her sister for forgiveness. The two girls had sworn, despite what happened with their aunt, that the people did deserve to know the truth and needed to return for that, even more now that they'd been informed an enemy had taken over the kingdom.

"Well, that is a problem," Gold murmured, thoughtful, "Can't have that Anna running around town."

Hook frowned at that, eyeing Gold a moment before he realized, "She knows, doesn't she? She knows what you were doing, cleaving yourself from the dagger so you can do what you please with your power! Emma told me Belle confessed about knowing Anna…"

"Still, quite the supposition," Gold shrugged.

"Why else would you care?" Hook smirked, pushing himself to his feet, "Anna's a danger to you. You can't have anyone but your fish knowing what you're doing…"

"Watch Anna," Gold glared at him, holding up Hook's heart, "Make sure she says nothing about my plans."

He knew that Anna had seen him, he had taken Henry to the rest of his family in the center of town and the girl had spotted him, had pointed at him with wide eyes…when she had been distracted by her sister appearing, he had disappeared with Piper after that, but as far as he knew, Anna had said nothing about knowing him, about his plans, seemingly very scatter minded when her sister was involved. So long as the girl didn't see him or hear mention of him again, he doubted she would think to bring him up.

"But if I had the choice…" Hook began.

"Well, you don't," Gold cut in, "Your usefulness was unexpectedly extended. But tonight, when the stars in the sky align with the stars in the sorcerer's hat, I will finally do what I should have done so many years ago. I will crush your heart."

"You would do that?" Hook glared, "You would crush the heart of someone Emma cares for? You would upset her, devastate her?"

"I think you overestimate your importance to her."

"I think you underestimate how the Savior would react to someone killing an ally," Hook dared, "You expect me to believe your fish is…" he grunted as Gold squeezed his heart, "Going to go along with something that would harm Emma?"

Gold released his heart, smirking, "Oh dearie…I think she would volunteer to crush your heart herself. Now. Go."

Hook's glare intensified even as his body started to move for the door.

Gold had to chuckle at the man's glare, there was nothing in the ritual to free himself that said the heart had to be crushed, it merely...required the essence of a heart of the one that knew him before he was the Dark One. He and Piper had spoken of it when Snow and Henry had left to call Emma and David to let them know Piper was awake, and he had decided exactly what he would do to the pirate's heart. Whether he crushed it or not, that would be left for Hook to discover.

~8~

"You do not have to do this, Henry," Piper remarked as she walked with Henry down the road towards Granny's Diner, she was _starving_ after the events of last night and nearly dying, and the hospital food that they'd tried to force on her had nearly had her being ill in the toilet before she'd finally gotten to leave. She was quite hungry now and actually looking forward to some of Granny's lasagna though she was considering adding some pickles to the order as well, she was craving pickles at the moment, needing something sour but also refreshing for her body, something with a crunch but also soft, which pickles usually were for her. But she would also need something soothing for her throat...she might get some ice cream after. Oh lord she had used far more of her energy than she realized if she was this hungry, "I can manage on my own…"

"Nope," he cut in with a smile, holding the bear and balloon he'd gotten her in his one arm, "You almost died, Aunt P, the least I can do is make sure you get to the diner alright. And I think grandpa might set ME on fire if something happened to you on the way because I wasn't there."

Piper chuckled, "He would never harm you Henry," she squeezed his arm that she had her own linked through, thankful that they were taking some back roads and hadn't run into anyone from town yet. If one other person besides Mary Margaret or Henry dared call her a hero she was likely to stab them through the eye with her new pipe to prove she was not.

It wasn't that being a hero was bad, it was just…she knew how easily people could turn on others, especially 'reformed' villains as they might see her now. Regina had done some good, everyone reappeared from the Enchanted Forest and the town was nearly ready to burn her at the stake, blaming her for it all, thinking she'd done it to them again. Oh sure, the town might see her as hero for this moment, but come the next thing she did that was less than morally proper and they'd be up in arms and calling for her head because how dare she trick them?!

Humans were ridiculous with their sense of good and evil and right and wrong, villains and heroes. She'd rather be a villain and have the worst expected of her in a general sense than be a hero everyone would turn on at their first mistake. So long as no one dared doubt her love and care for her family she cared not if they thought her satan's wife.

"I know," Henry smiled, pulling her thoughts back, "But he might throw a fireball at whatever made you 'not ok' on the way."

"Now that sounds like Rummy," she smiled at that.

Henry glanced at her, observing her happy expression, the love even he could see in her eyes, "Aunt P…can I ask you something?"

"Anything, Henry."

He nodded, hesitating, "You and grandpa…you're both villains in my storybook. But so is my mom."

"Yes?"

"Well, it's just…lots of bad things happen to her in it."

"As they have Rummy and I," Piper glanced at him, "What is this about Henry?"

He sighed, "I…I haven't been entirely honest," he admitted, "I've sort of been…snooping," he winced at the word, "Around the shop."

Piper laughed lightly at that, "We are well aware Henry."

"What?!" he gaped at her.

"Your grandfather is the Dark One, he is the king of snooping and investigating," she reminded him with a small smile, "And I have good ears."

"You knew?" he blinked, "All this time and you didn't say?"

"We thought, perhaps, if you wished to know something you would merely ask," she gave him a pointed look, "We are on your side, Henry, we both care about you. Anything we can do to help you, you need only ask. I had hoped you would know that…"

"I do," he said quickly, "I do, really. I just…" he sighed, "It's sort of something my mom and I were doing together, like a mother-son project."

"I understand," Piper sighed at that, "August and I, the search for Storybrooke, for Emma, that was our own little mother-son project."

Henry smiled at that, happy that Piper felt ok enough to talk about August with him, "I didn't want anyone else to get involved till it was necessary."

"And it is now?"

He nodded, "We're…we're trying to find the author of my storybook," he told her, "The villains always lose and I just thought, mom's worked so hard to not be a villain anymore that the book needs to be changed. Incorporate some new stories, write her as a hero now so that she can get her happy ending."

"And you thought you would find the answer in Rummy's shop?" she raised an eyebrow at that.

"Well yeah," Henry shrugged, "It's just grandpa's the Dark One, I thought, of all the people in town, he might have some clue or book about it. And, well…there's you."

"Me?"

"You and grandpa are…happy," he elaborated, "You're both like each other's happy ending. You both have each other…and you've stayed together…"

"Between a Dark Curse and Wicked Witch?" she gave him an amused look at that, reminding him they hadn't always managed to stay together.

"You know what I mean," he nudged her a little, "It's like you both have your happy endings, and you're both villains. Mom doesn't and I just…I thought maybe there was some sort of trick for how a villain can be happy."

Piper had to smile at his words, oddly relieved to hear Henry call her and Gold villains. It meant that he accepted them for what they were, he understood that was their lot, and he still loved and cared for them regardless, "Oh Henry, the difference is that heroes…they do good. They ARE good, and the universe knows that," she shrugged, "It gives them a happy ending in return. Villains," she let out a breath, "Villains have a different lot and road, we have to FIGHT for our happy endings, he have to fight to get them, and once we do…we fight to keep them. Heroes never have to worry, for the most part, over their happy endings, it will always be there. But villains have to keep fighting, every day."

"But mom HAS fought," Henry frowned at that, "She's always fighting and…and she keeps losing it."

"Perhaps it is because she is trying to be a hero," Piper mused, "Villains have to fight for their happy endings, heroes are typically given them, perhaps her transition is confusing fate. Perhaps it does not know what to give someone that is not hero nor villain so it gives nothing."

"That's not fair," Henry murmured, looking down.

Piper stopped walking and turned, reaching out to lift his chin, "Give me a day or so Henry," she offered, "Give Rummy and I a day or so to recover from the Snow Queen, till the town's been settled, and we shall both help you find the author."

Henry's eyes lit up, "You will?!"

Piper smiled, "It is important to you. I cannot say that Rummy knows who this Author is or much about him, but I do believe he would do anything to help you, as hard as it may be to believe…he does have a small soft spot for Regina as well."

"Like you do?" Henry smirked.

"I have no such thing," she turned to keep walking though Henry laughed, linking his arm with hers once more.

"You do," Henry told her, his voice happy, "I noticed it after you all got your memories back from the Missing Year, you're a little nicer to her than you were when you first came to Storybrooke."

"Yes well, you would be surprised what wonders revenge does to a Siren's heart," she murmured, "We…came to a truce, during the Missing Year."

"And does that truce extend to helping her find her happy ending?" he asked, hopeful.

Piper let out a breath, "Let us leave it as I would not kill her along the way."

Henry just laughed at that.

Piper had to look at him oddly for that, what was it with Snow's family laughing when she threatened bodily harm and murder to the ones they cared for now?

She blinked at that, perhaps they finally understood what family meant to a Siren.

~8~

"Aunt P!"

Piper actually smiled as she stepped into the relatively empty diner with Henry, seeing that Emma was sitting in a booth with Elsa, Anna, and Krisoff, she had been the one to see her first and call out.

"Hello Emma," Piper nodded at her as she and Henry walked over, Emma getting out of the booth to stand.

"You ok?" Emma eyed her, "Should you be out of the hospital already?"

Piper chuckled a bit, "I made a very persuasive case for why I should be released."

Emma's eyes narrowed slightly at that, but more an exasperated look than suspicious, "Yeah, well, don't overdo it ok?" she smirked, "Can't have the town hero collapsing again."

Piper let out a groan at that, "Not you too Emma…"

Emma held up her hands in surrender, "Just what I've heard around."

"Wait," Anna spoke, looking up at Piper from beside Kristoff, "You're the one that saved the town?" she had seen the woman appear with Elsa before she'd suddenly collapsed…right into Rumpelstiltskin's arms…and vanished. All Elsa had told her was that the woman was called Piper, that she was Emma's aunt (Snow White's cousin and, apparently, the true love of Mr. Gold), and that she had stopped the Snow Queen after putting the town to sleep.

"I am the one that crushed your dear Aunt's heart," Piper corrected with a huff," Hardly a heroic act," her eyes narrowed as she looked over her shoulder, hearing Ruby snigger at the words a moment, before she turned back around, "I am no hero."

"Well the town thinks you are," Elsa smiled at her.

"Then the town is full of more idiots than I originally believed if they truly think I would not have killed them all had I the energy to do it," Piper remarked dryly.

"You wouldn't do that though, would you?" Anna tried to lighten the situation.

Piper just gave her a look.

"Oh," Anna blinked, "You would. Ok. That's…um…wow."

Piper rolled her eyes at the girl, and looked to Emma, "Are you well Emma?"

She nodded, a smile on her face about Piper's concern, she was never ever going to doubt how much that woman cared about her (which was a new notion to really and truly KNOW someone cared deeply about you) if she went so far while under a dark curse to keep her safe, "Yeah," she told her, "I'm ok, just…frustrated," she sighed, "We're trying to find them a way back to Arendelle."

Piper nodded, about to wish her luck…when her traitor of a stomach let out a loud, embarrassing grumble.

Emma chuckled at that, "Hey, kid," she looked at Henry, "Why don't you and Aunt P go get something to eat, yeah?" Henry nodded and started to lead Piper to the bar of the diner to order, Emma turning back to the trio at the table…when the bells jingled and Hook walked in.

"Swan," he called, dutifully ignoring Piper as she glanced over at him, "Come celebrate, for I may not be the savior, but I've just saved the day."

"Hang on," Emma murmured to the trio, "Don't get your hopes up yet," she walked over to Hook as he stopped beside the bar, his back to Henry as the boy was to the right of Piper and having turned to listen in, "Ok, what, exactly, are we celebrating?"

"The portal to Arendelle," Hook stated, grinning, "I found it. So, bottoms up," he reached over and picked up a teacup Granny had set beside him, downing it.

"You found a portal?" Emma's eyes widened.

"Well, I found Gold, and he told me where to locate one," Hook answered, not able to see Piper's smirk at that, knowing Gold had likely done it to distract Emma and the others in getting the trio back to their realm while they finished their own operation with Hook, "A door in the ballroom of a lakeside mansion in the woods that appeared with the curse. Yes," he continued at Emma's shocked expression, his words a tad strained, "It appears that our Rumplestiltskin has turned over a new leaf."

"Apparently dozens of leaves," Emma blinked, "You sure we can trust him? I mean, I…I trust him with my family but these are strangers…" she added, knowing that Piper might be listening, and, oddly enough, she found that she DID trust Gold…if it came to her, Henry, or their family, but Elsa and Anna weren't that.

"Positive," Hook nodded, "The Crocodile truly has changed," Piper's lips pursed at how empty his words sounded, able to see Emma's own expression shift in suspicion, "He gave me a long-winded explanation about a portal. About how it brought the, uh Snow Queen into this land which I don't recall. But the important thing is it works. All they have to do is walk through it."

"Then we should go," Emma murmured.

"Brilliant," Hook agreed, "You do that. I, alas bruised myself during the curse. Really need to get it seen to."

Piper looked away at that last remark, rolling her eyes at how Hook sounded like he was entirely too bored and unconcerned with his supposed injury.

And, of course, that would set anyone off, so Emma moved to block his way from leaving, "Hey, Killian. What's wrong? You're acting strange."

Hook glanced down at where he had grabbed her arm, a little too tightly, and forced himself to release her, seeming like he was fighting against something telling him to let her go, "Nothing," he released her, "I'm fine," he leaned in to kiss her quickly, before pulling back, "See you around love."

"Well that was…strange," Emma muttered.

"You're friends with a pirate?" Anna blinked at Emma innocently, not having had the best experience with them.

"Um, yeah…friends," Emma murmured, though she honestly wasn't sure what she and Hook were or what she felt. At times he was a good guy, but then she'd find something out about just WHY he was acting like a good guy and she'd start to back away a bit. Piper's words kept ringing in her ears about how Hook only did what SHE thought he'd want him to do, and if he really was, which…it DID seem he did at times…was he really being himself? Was he really being honest in how he was around her? Could she really fall in love with someone that was putting on an act around her?

WAS it an act?

She shook her head, she could deal with that later, and turned to the trio, "It seems we have a portal back to Arendelle."

"Really?" Elsa's eyes widened.

Emma nodded, "We can go there now, if you want…"

Anna was already shoving Kristoff out of the booth and racing for the door, making it all the way outside before she came back, a sheepish look on her face, "I don't know where it is…"

Emma shook her head at the excitable girl and looked back at Piper and Henry, "You two…"

"Yes!" Henry cut in, "I SO want to see the portal. And the mansion? Is there really one in the woods that appeared after the second curse? That's so cool mom!"

Emma chuckled at that, putting an arm around Henry as he got up to join her, "Aunt P?'

Piper had to smile at how Emma was calling her that now, "You go ahead," she gestured them off, "I…I should like to rest for the day, not trek through the woods," she gestured to the plate of food Ruby had set in front of her, "And finish this meal as well, I am famished."

Emma nodded, understanding, Piper had been through a lot and, well, she didn't really care about Elsa and the others, not in a way where she'd want to be there to see them off, so she understood, "Um…how about you and Gold swing by Mar…Mom's apartment later," she offered instead, "After they're back home, to celebrate."

Piper nodded, "I should like that, and I think Rummy would as well. We have…much to celebrate," she smirked a bit, Emma not seeming to notice the underlying meaning in her words as she turned to walk out with Henry, leading Elsa, Anna, and Kirstoff with her.

Oh yes, if all went well this night…there would be MUCH to celebrate indeed.

~8~

Piper smirked as she and Gold made their way up to the clock tower of Storybrooke just as the sun was starting to set. It was the highest point in the town, and in the right location, just under the exact set of stars that were woven into the sorcerer's hat. It was also typically, thankfully empty as it was now.

"When the stars on the hat align with those in the sky," Gold grinned as they reached the top, "We shall begin."

"You mean I shall end," Hook glared at him, "Let's not start mincing our words now."

"Brave words," Piper taunted.

"Aren't they?" Gold agreed, "I half-expected him to crumble at the precipice of his demise."

"I am standing right here," Hook spat, "And I'm not the one who's a coward."

Gold's eyes narrowed at him though the smile never left his face, his victory too near at hand to be affected by Hook's words, "Well, then, you'll enjoy watching this coward crush your heart."

Piper held out a hand and took the heart from Gold as he lifted his hand and waved it at the ceiling, opening the top mechanisms of the clock tower, giving them a view at the darkening sky.

It would not be much longer now…

~8~

"I'm sorry," Mary Margaret spoke quietly to Anna as she followed behind the group as they cautiously explored the mansion Hook had mentioned was in the middle of the woods, thinking there might be traps because a house didn't just appear out of nowhere between curses.

"For what?" Anna blinked at her.

"My cousin…" she winced, "She um…killed your aunt…"

"It is sad," Anna sighed, "But Aunt Ingrid was trying to kill everyone, there wasn't any other way. The legends about the mirror said so. And," she took a breath, forcing a smile, "Elsa and I will be sure to restore her memory to the kingdom…I'm sorry too."

Mary Margaret blinked this time, surprised by the sudden change, "For what?" she echoed.

"Well, Emma and Elsa," she glanced at the two blondes, "Their memories were lost in the cave in, weren't they?"

Mary Margaret nodded, "They were, but…I think they're content with not remembering," she glanced at her daughter, "Emma seemed almost relived."

It would probably make them both feel worse if the memories that the Snow Queen claimed to have, the better memories were restored, to remember the good in the woman instead of the crazed enemy that had been trying to destroy them. It, she felt, made the death hurt less.

"I just…wanted to apologize for Rose," Mary Margaret continued, "She was under the curse and, well, she's…she's half-siren," she said quickly, "The curse made her feel like a full siren and they get…very protective of their families and…"

"It's ok," Anna smiled at that, "Piper is different than you, she has magic, it affects her and the people around her. Like Elsa," she looked at her sister, "Family is important, and I think it's wonderful that you love your cousin for who she is just like I do Elsa, just like my mother did Ingrid. Just because we don't have magic doesn't mean we can't love those who do. Family never gives up on each other."

"You're right," Mary Margaret nodded, "They don't."

She would have to find Piper after this and really talk, there was still so much to say, "Do you see anything Emma?" she called ahead, wanting to focus on the mission at hand, not wanting to get too distracted.

Unlike Henry who was beaming at everything that caught his eye, just in awe at the mansion, it was awesome! He couldn't help but run ahead of his mother, grandmother, grandfather, and the others, "This place is amazing!" he called, spotting something through a doorway, "Mom, I'll, uh, be right back!"

"Hey, kid, wait," Emma rushed after him…only to stop short as they saw what Henry had, a doorway standing in the middle of a room, a door shut within it, intricate carvings around the edges of it.

"Well, Emma, I think this is it," Mary Margaret laughed.

"Crocuses!" Anna gasped, hurrying to grab Elsa's arm as they drew nearer, "Arendelle crocuses! Elsa, we're almost home!"

"Wait," Emma called out as Anna tried to hurry them to the door and throw it open, "Maybe I should open it. Magic can be unpredictable."

"So this is it," Elsa stared at the door that might get her and her sister and future brother-in-law back home.

"Appears so," Emma nodded.

"Thank you for taking such good care of my sister," Anna turned, throwing her arms around Emma to hug her, startling her a bit.

"It's kind of what we do," Emma brushed it off.

"It's our pleasure," Mary Margaret smiled at the two women and Kristoff, "Now, don't you all have a kingdom to go save?"

"We sure do," Anna beamed, "I hope Hans isn't too comfortable on that throne cause I'm gonna knock him right off the minute we get back."

"And the second minute we're back, maybe we could get married?" Kristoff offered with a chuckle, "Just a thought."

"Emma," Elsa turned to her, "Thank you for everything. You've done so much. I could never repay you," she stepped up and hugged Emma tightly, trying not to cry as she pulled back a few moments later, "It's time."

Emma nodded and stepped to the door, reaching out cautiously to open it, smiling as she felt a ripple of magic drift out of it and saw a snowy landscape beyond, what had to be Arendelle. She turned, nodding to the others as Elsa took a step forwards, smiling at her home through the door.

Elsa turned to Mary Margaret and David, "Please, thank Hook and Mr. Gold for us as well," she gave them one last smile before she turned and stepped through the portal.

Kristoff quickly followed her, seeing her appearing on the other side with no ill effects.

"Good luck," Emma called as Anna made to follow.

Anna looked back at them, seeming thoughtful, "Please tell Mr. Gold that I'm sorry, too," she requested.

"Sorry?" David shook his head, not understanding.

"I was wrong about him," Anna chuckled, "Rumpelstiltskin wasn't as bad as I thought he was. I mean, he can't be, right? His true love is your cousin after all," she gestured at Mary Margaret, "I mean, I was surprised to hear he even had a true love, or was capable of love. But I think everyone is capable of it, though he DID make me wonder...he wasn't a very nice man. Oh, but e's much more helpful in this realm," she added quickly, "Much less devious…"

"Wait," Emma blinked, shaking her head, "What?"

"You know him?" Mary Margaret glanced at David and back to Anna.

"Mhmm," Anna nodded, "I helped him get this weird bucket thing once from some sorcerer's apprentice. He turned him into a mouse!" she added, as though it were shocking, "But I got him to turn him back in the end. He did NOT seem too happy that I got his dagger off him. Speaking of his dagger, where IS it exactly?"

"Um…with Rose…" Mary Margaret started to frown, "My cousin."

"Oh," Anna smiled, "Well that's good. Last time I saw him he was trying to find a way to free himself from its control. It's good to know it's in safe hands," she looked between the four of them, "Well, I should go. Thanks again!" she gave them a bright wave and turned to almost skip through the portal, the door slamming shut behind her.

David tensed and looked at Mary Margaret, "She wouldn't…" he began, though they all knew what he was referencing.

Mary Margaret could only stand there, her mouth open, eyes wide, for a moment, before she turned and ran out of the room.

~8~

Piper looked over at Gold as he stared up at the sky, at the moon and stars in place, "Rummy?"

He looked at her, a dark grin on his face, "It's time," he nodded.

She held up Hook's heart to him, letting him take it in his left hand. He leaned down, holding out a hand to her to offer him his dagger in his other hand, nodding at her to step away before he waved it over the small metal bucket structure, activating it, summoning the hat from it. He used the tip of his dagger to levitate the hat into the air, sending it drifting above his head, further and further up…till the light of the stars caught on the stars of the hat and light exploded from it.

In the next moment it appeared as though the stars were right above them, their own miniature universe just drifting above their heads, the hat nowhere to be seen.

Gold beamed as a light of the moon shown through the stars, the different little lights magnifying the moon's beam as it focused on him, standing there with Hook's heart in one hand, his dagger in the other, Piper on one side with Hook on the other.

"Gold!" Emma's voice suddenly cut in as she and Mary Margaret ran into the bottom of the tower's stairwell, "Stop!"

"Rose!" Mary Margaret gasped, seeing Piper standing with Gold, participating in the ceremony.

"I'm sorry," Gold shook his head, "I can't. I've waited too long for this. And I'm too close."

"Rose, don't…" Mary Margaret began.

"Forgive me Snow," Piper whispered to her, before looking at Gold, "Do it."

He waved his hand and Emma and Mary Margaret and Emma were frozen in place, their feet stuck to the ground, their arms locked at their sides.

"Rose!" Mary Margaret looked at her, sounding very much like she had when Emma had accidently struck the street lamp that knocked into David.

Piper just shook her head and looked at Gold, "Hurry. And be careful!"

Gold nodded, holding Hook's heart out before him, the dagger in his other hand, bringing them closer together…

"NO!" Emma screamed, seeing Gold bring the dagger slashing across Hook's heart, driving Hook to his knees in pain.

Gold quickly moved the dagger, now coated in Hook's heart's blood above his head, the light of the stars and the moon intensifying to the point they all had to look away as a brilliant burst of magic went out from the tower.

A moment later…

The Dagger went clattering out of Gold's hand, falling down to where Emma and Mary Margaret had been released, the women scrambling to grab the dagger, looking up in horror as they saw Gold drop Hook's heart, stumbling back into Piper's hold as she hurried to straighten him, Hook lunging to grab his heart and back away.

"Rummy!" Piper gasped, grabbing his arms, "Rummy…"

Gold just looked at her, "Pip…" he beamed, starting to laugh.

"Dark One!" Mary Margaret called, holding up his Dagger, "Step back!"

Gold pause for only a moment, almost waiting for the familiar compulsion that should have caused him to move…but it never came.

"No," he started to laugh with joy, "No!"

Piper looked at him with tears in her eyes as she half threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly, missing the looks of sheer horror and terror passing through Mary Margaret's face.

"Emma," Mary Margaret turned to her daughter, grabbing her arm, the dagger still firmly clenched in her other, the metal still reading 'Rumpelstiltskin' even if it had no control over him, "You need to get us out of here, all of us, now!"

"What?" Emma looked away from Piper and Gold, a small frown on her face when she saw that Gold was just holding her aunt, seeming on the verge of crying, her aunt actually crying in front of her, "Why?"

"Just do it, Emma, please, get us all out of here, the four of us," she looked at Gold and Piper, "Now Emma!"

Emma jumped at that last order, quickly bringing her hand up and causing her and Mary Margaret, Gold and Piper to disappear in a swirl of white smoke, leaving Hook there so that Gold couldn't attack him. She honestly had no idea where she was trying to take them, her mind jumping to the farthest place it seemed, because they appeared right outside the town line.

"Rose!" Mary Margaret strode over to her cousin, sounding almost furious as the two pulled away, almost startled to see they'd been transported, "What have you done?!"

"We freed him," Piper smiled her cousin, "He has been cleaved of the dagger," she looked at Gold, "You are free."

"I know," he nodded, feeling joy bubbling within him, before he glanced at Mary Margaret, "You may want to melt that down dearie," he couldn't even manage to make that sound as taunting as he would have liked, too overwhelmed with relief that it had worked, "It's useless now. It cannot control me any longer."

Mary Margaret looked down at the dagger in her hand, shaking her head at that.

It was then that Piper realized Mary Margaret was shaking, her hands were, her body was, "Snow…"

"You were a part of this?" Mary Margaret looked at her, " _Why_? Rose why would you do something like this?"

"I know what it is like to control others, and YOU know how dangerous it is to have him controlled by others," Piper pointed out, "Snow this is a GOOD thing."

"A good thing that the DARK ONE is now free to do whatever he wants to the town!?"

"No, a good thing that my true love is without leash," she told her cousin, starting to frown, "Snow he will not harm you, nor our family, I thought you believed that!"

Mary Margaret opened her mouth to say something, but closed it quickly, looking from her cousin to Gold, the man just…smirking, his hands resting on his cane, completely at ease…and down to the dagger, the utterly useless dagger that served no purpose save to kill the Dark One. Not control him, no never control him ever again.

The Dark One was free…the Dark One was off his leash…the Dark One was now able to do whatever his twisted little darkened heart pleased…

She looked up at Piper once more tears in her eyes as she considered what to do next…and words her cousin had spoken came unbidden to her mind, reminding her of something, something far more important than just them.

She turned to Gold, holding her hand back to Emma to take the dagger, Emma quickly doing it but watching her mother closely, "Gold…" Mary Margaret began, stepping closer to him, "I'm sorry," she told him, "I'm so sorry," she stepped closer still and…

Opened her arms to hug him.

Gold blinked and looked over at Piper at the motion, startled, but Piper just started to smile, thinking that her cousin was accepting what she was trying to tell her, accepting Gold into the family. He had only just lifted a hand to awkwardly touch her back…

When he went stumbling backwards…

As Mary Margaret shoved him away from her…

And right over the town line.

"SNOW!" Piper screamed, trying to lunge forward to grab Gold and pull him, back, but Mary Margaret turned and caught her, trying to pull her back as she struggled, weakened from the Shattered Sight and her stay in the hospital and unable to fight back, "LET ME GO!"

"Pip?" Gold looked around, staring through her, unable to see her on the other side of the line, "Piper?"

"Let me go! Snow, let me go! Please!"

"I'm sorry," Mary Margaret was repeating over and over as she tried to push her cousin back further and further away from the line, "I'm sorry. Rose I'm so sorry…"

"What did you do?!" even Emma seemed horrified by what her mother had done.

Piper managed to shove away from Mary Margaret's hold, stumbling to her knees as she looked at Gold, at his expression, at the heartbreak and terror in his eyes. She felt like she couldn't breathe as she reached up and gripped at her chest with a hand, feeling her heart pounding in her chest.

"I'm so sorry Rose…"

She closed her eyes at her cousin's voice, "Why?!" she raged, turning to glare at Mary Margaret over her shoulder, "Why would you DO this!?"

"I had to," Mary Margaret was sobbing but Emma was backing away from her, completely shocked at what the woman had done, "I had to. For the town," she looked between the women, "I…I can't be your cousin, Rose," she told her, heartbroken, "Not in this. I…I'm a ruler," she tried to throw the words that had been said in the library before the curse back at them, "I have to make the difficult decisions. I have to make the choices that protect the most people. Our family may be safe from him," her gaze flickered to Gold and back to Piper but Piper was looking at Gold, the man struggling to get to his feet, and reaching out, tears in his eyes.

"Piper?" he called out, looking for her, "Rose?" before he seemed to realize that he was trapped on the other side of the line, "No!"

"I had to do it to protect the town," Mary Margaret repeated, "THEY aren't safe from him…I had to, Rose, I had to. I'm so sorry…"

Piper, whose eyes had closed at the utter heartbreak and pain in Gold's voice, snapped open, her face set in a glare that would have sent even the Evil Queen fleeing. She took a deep breath, pushing herself slowly to her feet and stepped towards the line.

"Rose! Don't," Mary Margaret begged, "Please, just…just come back to town with us and…"

"I will go nowhere with you ever again, Mary Margaret," Piper's voice was cold and hard as she spoke, not even looking back at her cousin to see her crumbling expression at her tone and words.

"Rose…"

"You would cast out my love," Piper continued, ignoring her, "You have no idea what you have done."

"I do," Mary Margaret insisted, "I had to protect…"

"No," Piper shook her head, "You CHOSE this, you chose to protect your people from a threat that does not exist, an evil that was not bearing down at them, but a presumed one," her hands curled into fists, " _You betrayed me_!" she snarled, before forcing herself to take a breath, "You have betrayed me, my trust, my loyalty," she swallowed hard, trying to gain back her breath, "Then let my heart be hardened, against you, against your people…"

"Rose, I HAD to!" Mary Margaret cried, seeming desperate for her not to say what she was.

"And _I_ have to do this," Piper turned around, just a toe away from the line to glare her cousin down, Mary Margaret nearly falling to her knees at the sheer coldness in her cousin's eyes, at the realization that all the love and loyalty and care that Piper had ever felt for her was just…gone, and all that was left was anger and hurt and…hatred, "And beware Snow White," she continued, almost sounding as though she were spitting out the woman's name like a vile curse, "From this point on…we shall be on truly opposing sides evermore."

And, with that, Piper stepped back, right over the line, holding her cous…holding Mary Margaret's gaze as she did so until she could not see the woman any longer, until she could not hear Mary Margaret screaming for her, until she couldn't see her crumble to her knees in sobs at the events she herself had set in motion.

"Pip?" Gold breathed, sounding so utterly shocked that it nearly broke her heart.

She just turned and fell to her knees before him, hugging him tightly as he clung to her as well, "Rummy..."

Now, it was truly the two of them against the world, against the world without magic, against Storybrooke, against the heroes...

And against Snow White.

A/N: Ooh god, oh god, Snow what did you do!? O.O

I know that the episode ends with a '6 weeks later' moment...but this was just too good a place to leave off }:) I can say thought that the next chapter won't be a flashback one but the next episode :) I think I'm going to try and do that if the mid-season finales are actual 'finales' instead of just a continuation of the show. Because it sort of starts a 'new' villain storyline I'm going to treat it like the show ended and the next 'season' is beginning, so we'll have no flashback, but the next episode }:)

I mentioned in a prior chapter that something someone said would come back to bite them...poor Piper, if she had never reminded Snow of her 'duty' to her people... }:)

I also wanted the last chapter to be both a precursor to this one, we see Ilayda turning on her family simply for planning to kill her true love. And, while I'm not 100% sold on Emma and Hook being true loves, I wanted to sort of parallel that with what Gold and Piper were planning with Hook. However, Piper is waiting till Hook actually turns his back on Emma to kill him, she's waiting to see if he can truly change and be worthy of her niece first. Unlike with her Siren-family, they were going to kill Ethan with no regard to Ilayda or how she'd feel…Piper would LOVE to kill Hook, but she knows that Emma does feel something for him and she can't bring herself to actually KILL him until Emma or Hook end the relationship. Torture him relentlessly and make it difficult for him to be with Emma, sure, but she would stop just a hair short of killing him ;) So here, while she and Gold would have no qualms killing Hook, they both know Emma would react badly and be hurt/devastated, so they've both chosen to nick his heart instead. I think he also provides Piper a bit of a challenge and joy in disrupting his relationship with Emma :)

On another, slightly funny, note, when I was editing this chapter before posting, I was listening to music and the Prince of Egypt soundtrack came on and it got to a part about the plagues of Egypt and it was a shiver moment for me, because that entire song is about two people who are like brothers even though they aren't related (like Piper and Snow being 'sisters'), who were separated for years (like because of Regina) and became different people, one a king (or Queen Snow) and the other more a wanderer who feels himself a murderer (the Pied Piper), growing older and finding themselves on opposite sides (like heroes and villains), thinking about the past and how they were family and now they're standing against each other (this chapter). And ALL I could think about was OMG :) Especially because there is a part where Ramses sings, 'Then _let my heart be hardened_ ' and I was like, oh god, that's Piper! }:) Lol. Just thought I'd add that in, I feel like it sort of sums up a little of Piper and Snow right now ;)

Some notes on reviews...

Yup, we'll get a chapter of Ilayda meeting the former-King and Queen, as well as Leopold and Eva ;) Oh I agree, that was the first thing I thought of when it happened, that it was the epitome of Rape by Deception :( I almost wish that someone would ask the writers it at Comic Con or somewhere for them to explain or try to justify how what Zelena did is not Rape by Deception and see what they say. Because, honestly, if these same men had to be told by an actor that a bio-mother cannot just swoop into their child's life and usurp the adoptive-mother, I genuinely fear for if they even realize there is a thing called Rape by Deception :( But I fully agree, I actually wrote a post on tumblr about it, about it being Rape by Deception as well as looking to other fairytale/legends where this very same thing, almost identically to what Zelena did happened and how, as we look at it and learn about it, it IS defined as rape too. Zeus used magic to look like Alchmene's husband, tricked her into sleeping with him, she consented to be with her husband, not Zeus, it's called rape. Uther used magic to look like Ygraine's husband, tricked her into sleeping with him, she consented to be with her husband, not Uther, it's called rape too. I'm getting a sickening feeling that the writers will use that trope as a 'but the baby will be an epically powerful and important hero just like Hercules and Arthur are!' Though I really hope they won't because that seems more like them trying to say the rape was 'worth it' or something disturbing like that :( I'm suspicious now that they did it because they were going to Camelot and Merlin had a hand in Arthur's conception via rape and it's meant to parallel that (as though there aren't enough parallels in the show already) :( It's just very, very disturbing and, I've heard, that one of the writers actually claimed they were getting tons of positive feedback about Zelena's plot...like, no. Just no. Do not lie and say people are telling you that the rape was good. And if you ARE getting positive feedback...then the people saying it's a great move are not the best people to listen to :/ I just can't accept it and the fact that Robin is accepting it so easily and they're making all these plans to raise his rape baby (when I don't think anyone would look down on someone wanting to terminate a pregnancy created via rape, or think badly of someone not wanting to raise their rape-baby) it makes me really uncomfortable. We've seen the writers brush off Robin for a majority of Season 4, going back and forth between women, having all these supposed deep discussions with Regina off screen that we only hear about in passing and that don't seem likely to have actually happened (yes, leave Storybrooke and hop into bed with your 'wife' the first chance you get, I understand...I doubt Regina said anything like that, he could have been with Marian and supported her without being with her in a bed), I can't see them doing justice to the trauma and abuse Robin went through because of Zelena nor the psychological effects of him having to face his rapist every single day of his life in his child's face, especially if it's a little girl that looks like Zelena :( I have SO many issues with how Robin was written in Season 4 just beyond that, the whole plot around Robin is an entire mess and it really is SO disturbing that if the writers don't fix it (and there are magical/believable ways to do it), I really think I'm going to need to change it in my stories because I just can't stomach Season 5 thinking of that baby and its conception and Zelena without some way to cope, like the stories :(

I though RM was good, but I also thought that she'd run her course too. I've heard that the writers plan to have her redeemed, but that they aren't going to use the baby to do it. In which case it's like a lose-lose, because for one, if they aren't using the baby then what was the point of it besides shock value? And if they WERE going to use the baby, we've already seen people redeemed through their children and it would just be watching Regina play out all over again except green :/ It'll be interesting to see what they do with Emma, whether she'll be consumed or if it will be gradual and it's sort of also pointless, we all sort of know that they're going to likely have it resolved by mid-season finale or by the end of a season. It's likely not going to last more than 22 episodes, of which half the episode is a flash back, so really 11 episodes total in terms of screen time, and on top of the other stories going on so maybe like half an episode of actual Emma if we're lucky, so like 5.5 episodes screen time of her being evil and that's probably going to be it :/ I hope they do some daring deeds with her while she's evil, like for how much a savior she was that she ends up being worse than Gold, Regina, Zelena, and Pan combined, give us truly shocking and dark deeds instead of half-baked ones that get resolved within an episode, though, I agree, I doubt they'll really go there. I feel like five seasons would be a good place to end, like there's really nothing else to do. Everyone's got or will likely get their happy ending by the end of Season 5, anything else or any new threat would just drag it out :/ I feel like them cramming 2 enemies into 1 season might be their attempt at pulling out the stops and it's just sort of making it fall short in how little they actually tell of the story because of it :/ But thank you, I haven't really thought of romance novels lol, I actually haven't really read much of them but one of my roommates in college loved them. I'll have to ask her for some recommendations :)

For a long time it was like that yes, but the story happened in the modern world, in NY, and the laws there are very equal in the sense that men or women could be raped :( Robin will likely look at it from a medieval/fairytale POV, but it doesn't change that it happened in our world by our laws and by the laws/understanding of the viewers :( Robin consented to sex with his wife, not Zelena, which is the definition of Rape by Deception, so what Zelena did is still rape even if he 'consented' because it wasn't Zelena he agreed to sleep with but Marian :( In terms of Arthur though, his father got Merlin to disguise him as Ygraine's husband Gorlois, and he slept with her, and in our definition (and what one of my medieval studies professors called it) it is Rape as well :( I think the writers were hoping we'd see it in terms of a 'but it's a fairytale and these things happen then' mindset, but the context and the viewers are firmly in the modern day where that is NOT a good thing to do at all :( If they wanted it to be an 'acceptable rape' (which I don't think should ever or have ever existed), it would have made more sense for it to have happened in the Enchanted Forest, like Zelena took Marian's place, ran off and found Robin, he was so happy to see his thought-to-be-dead wife back that they did the deed, and then Emma tracked her down and took her to the future. At least then it was in a medieval context, with a medieval mentality, and not in present day New York :(

That's true, it could be overwhelming to experience something full force you haven't yet :) I really love responding to reviews and when people respond to my notes on them, it always gives a new perspective :)

Yup, Ilayda is wearing clothing :) It's mostly what Sirens of the Sea typically wear, which is a sort of lengthy dress that seems made of seaweed with a sort of netting over it that can sometimes be wide enough to act as sleeves too :) I think if they were soulmates they would have backed off a little bit, because (in terms of the show, it seems) you only have one soulmate where you can have more than one true love. The town (and David) definitely seem more grateful yup, but she's also very aware that, because she's a 'villain' the second she does something against what they think a hero should do, she'll be right back on their enemy/distrust list. Oh very, very guilty Snow and Snowing to come }:)


	22. Darkness at the Edge of Town

Darkness at the Edge of Town

Mary Margaret sat, despondent, in her apartment, a cold cup of hot chocolate in her hands, just…staring at nothing. David sighed as he put Neal down for a nap and made his way over to his wife, "Mary Margaret…" he began.

But Mary Margaret cut him off, "I tried to call him," she murmured, nodding to her cell phone lying before her, "He won't answer. Henry won't even speak to me David," she looked at her husband with tears in his eyes, "And Emma?" she shook her head, "She tries to pretend she's not angry with me, but I know she is. She's been avoiding me and she won't stay in the same room with me for more than five minutes and…" she took a breath, "Do you think I did the right thing?"

"In banishing Gold?" David let out a breath, knowing that was the only thing she could be talking about.

It had been six weeks so far, since the ice wall had come down, since his wife had essentially banished the Dark One from the town…and driven her cousin to go with the man. And in that time…things hadn't been well for the family in general. Henry had been so…stunned and upset when Emma had told him what happened. Neither he nor Mary Margaret had been there when she'd told him, which meant…Emma had told him the entire truth, from her perspective, about what happened. He and Mary Margaret would have been more delicate.

He didn't want to think they'd lie to him or try to twist the truth to make it seem like Mary Margaret was completely in the right…but they would have let him down more gently than it seemed Emma had. Henry had stormed up to his grandmother in the middle of Granny's diner the next morning shouting about how could she do that? How could she drive his Aunt P away? After everything the woman and even Gold had done for them! They were supposed to be the heroes!

Mary Margaret had tried to explain it to him, amidst the whispers that had started when the town heard Henry's shouts, that Gold and Piper had been working to free the Dark One from his dagger, that she HAD to cast the man out to protect her people. THAT had been one of the reasons why the town seemed to almost celebrate her actions. The moment they heard that the two had been trying to let the Dark One have free reign of his power to do with as he wished, they had started to shout and yell and remark about how, of course it was a good thing! Of course their Princess would do what had to be done to keep them safe from that imp. Of course they should never have thought Piper to be a hero if she was willing to unleash the Dark One on them without a way to really stop him.

It had NOT been the best thing to say to Henry while he'd been outraged already.

Henry had brought up the single most important point that was truly eating away at Mary Margaret's belief that what she did was right.

Piper had had that dagger, the one that used to control him, since before the first curse had been cast. She had sworn to NEVER use the dagger, ever…so Gold already had free reign to do whatever he wanted to the town. But he hadn't. So long as his plans wouldn't hurt Piper's or his family he could have done anything and Piper would have been right there beside him, letting it happen. Gold had already had that freedom she had feared so much, he could have done anything to the town already but he hadn't.

On top of that, Henry had rammed home the point that Piper still had Gold's heart inside her, though that added reminder had been said in the privacy of their apartment as they had tried to take the boy back there to talk. Piper HAD a way to control the Dark One, even without the dagger, she had his heart inside her, she could use it to stop him if the worst came to it.

There WERE precautions and failsafes in place…but Mary Margaret had still thrown him out.

Henry had looked at his grandmother with such disappointment that Mary Margaret had burst into tears to be reminded of all that. Henry was…right. If you looked at it from the boy's innocent point of view, he was right, but he couldn't bear to see his wife so distraught by the anger of her grandson that he'd tried to reassure her she'd done the right thing regardless. That Gold, now that he had no need to fear someone else taking the Dagger or getting hold of it to control him, WOULD be a danger. He reminded her that Piper's relationship with her was already a little shaky, and if something had happened that drove them apart before that, then nothing would be keeping them safe at all.

Henry had not been happy with that answer either, and just…left. He stayed with Regina from then on, ignored Mary Margaret's attempts to call him, requested to be transferred out of his grandmother's classes at the school, and refused to speak to her when they were in the same room. They weren't sure why the boy was so angry but they had a suspicion there was more going on than Henry was willing to tell them.

Emma…she had surprised them in her not-outright disagreement with her mother's decision. She had been horrified at what her mother had done, had been shocked and startled and couldn't believe a hero would do that to her own cousin. That the woman that gave the EVIL Queen second chance after second chance to prove herself wouldn't have extended the same courtesy to her cousin's true love, whether he was the Dark One or not. THAT had been a knife in Mary Margaret's heart to be reminded of how she'd let her step-mother make up for her past as a villain and prove herself when the ONLY thing that seemed to have started Regina on her path of redemption was Henry, whereas Piper had ties to Henry, Emma, Neal, and herself, whereas Gold had ties to Henry and even Emma, where he had more than just one reason to not go on a rampage through the town. It had been a knife that the woman would give more of a chance and faith to someone that was just a step-mother to her instead of believing in her cousin that had been there since she was only a few years old and done nothing but protect the family.

Emma had been quieter and more subtle in her disagreement than Henry had been. But it still came about in how she acted around them. She was hardly in the apartment, when she was around Mary Margaret she barely kept on a conversation for more than 5 minutes before finding a reason to leave, SHE wanted to keep the dagger instead of letting Mary Margaret or Regina do so. She'd even managed to secure a key to Gold and Piper's house and gave it to Henry so he could protect it while she protected their house and even the pawn shop with a protection spell.

She'd started calling Mary Margaret by her name instead of mom again.

Mary Margaret wasn't used to someone actually disagreeing with her actions. Oh the town celebrated her defense and protection of them, were so honored that she cared for them so much she would disregard her cousin just for their sake. Her husband supported her as her husband…but that her child and grandson were so against what she'd done…it had shaken her faith and belief in herself. The town was biased against Piper, her child and Henry biased for her, but still…she had never been in a real position where her 'ruling' had been seen with such opposition when it came to 'doing the right thing.' There had been an outcry when she'd chosen to halt Regina's execution, because at that point Regina was a threat to the kingdom. This time…her own children were against her decision to protect the kingdom from the threat against it.

"What else?" Mary Margaret shook her head.

David could only shrug, "You know that I support you, Mary Margaret."

"But do you think it's RIGHT?" she insisted, turning more to him, "Do you think what I did was right?"

"What's right and what's easy are never the same," David told her wisely, "That was…the hardest thing you've ever had to do, besides sending Emma through the wardrobe. You did what you had to to keep the town safe from Gold. One…wrong move, one slight against him and he might not refrain from attacking as much as he had. Before, all someone had to do was manage to get closer to Piper, to knock her out or something, and take the dagger and he'd be their puppet. He couldn't risk getting the wrong people too angry at him. Now?" he shook his head, "If he was here, there would be nothing keeping him from holding back…"

"But Henry said…"

"I know," he reached out to put his hands on her shoulders, "I know Henry thinks that Piper would have let Gold do things, but that's not the point. Snow," he sighed, "He had to be careful, even around Piper, because she had the dagger. Even then he was careful not to upset her or do something she wouldn't agree with. He doesn't have that holding him down now. He would have been free to do anything at all to anyone in the town, despite her having had the dagger and letting him do it or not. She wouldn't have been able to use it to STOP him now."

"Her heart…"

"Is also in Gold's chest, just like his is in hers, I know," he nodded, "She can't use his heart against him if he can do the exact same to her. She's in no position to use his heart against him. He's really got complete freedom to do ANYTHING. And we can't risk it. You couldn't, not as a ruler," he lifted her chin, "We have to make the difficult and hard decisions where someone loses, and we need to keep our entire kingdom in consideration and do what's best for them."

"I just keep thinking…if it had been you, if Rose had sent you over the line…" tears filled her eyes, "I banished her true love."

"You banished the Dark One," he shook his head, "You can't look at it like that, it'll tear you apart. You have to be strong in this, Snow, you made a decision, you have to stand by it. But know that I'll stand by you no matter what."

Mary Margaret gave him a watery smile, leaning in to hug him as he held her tight.

He would never ever tell her, because she was under so much stress and guilt already, but…there was a small part of him that DID think she'd done the wrong thing. He understood Piper's words in the library, the curse was a very real and imminent threat that was literally looming over them and getting closer, it WAS going to hit and it WAS going to hurt them…

Gold hadn't even been given a chance to prove if he would or wouldn't. He wasn't that imminent of a threat, there was no saying that the man was definitely, with 100 percent certainty going to attack anyone or harm them…

He shook his head, HE couldn't think like that either, he had to stand by his wife, and he had to consider not the what-ifs but the threat. The Dark One off his leash was a certain and viable threat.

~8~

Hook nearly growled as he swiped at the papers hanging on a cork board in the Library, Belle behind him, going through book after book for anything that might help them. He winced at the sudden move, at the anger coursing through him, and stumbled back, his good hand reaching up for his chest, clenching in the fabric over his heart.

"Hey, hey," Belle hurried over to his side, helping him move to sit on a chair, "Be careful," she murmured, "You're not supposed to get yourself worked up."

"I'm not an invalid," he spat.

"No," she agreed, "You're just a man with a bleeding heart. Literally."

He grimaced at that term, at the knowledge that he really WAS. And all thanks to the bloody Dark One. The man had slashed at his heart, using the blood from it to coat his dagger as the final steps to free himself. It was truly luck that Gold had dropped the heart in the end, allowing him to catch it in time. But there had been something wrong with it, it hadn't stopped bleeding from the slash. It caused him enormous pain whenever a more negative emotion passed through him, like jealousy, or anger, or hate…which were fairly common emotions for him. He tried to keep it from Emma, play it off, but he knew she was suspicious.

"Six weeks and nothing," he grunted, "They're still trapped inside that bloody hat!"

"We just have to keep at it, ok?" Belle tried to calm him, "We _will_ find a spell to release the fairies," she gestured back at a stack of books, "I mean, these translations are difficult, but I've reached out to some of the finest minds in the world, and one of them will get back to us. I know it."

"If we're reduced to those magic boxes, then I'd say hope is in short supply," he muttered, rubbing his chest.

They had to get the fairies out of the hat. Regina had examined his heart before Emma had put it back in his chest, had explained what the bleeding was. And told them that she wouldn't be able to heal it. It would take strong light magic, but PRACTICED light magic, extreme focus, to heal a heart like his. Emma would need to study for quite a few years to manage the ability to heal it as hearts were enormously tricky. Emma hadn't wanted to risk taking a chance healing his heart and accidently crushing it and asked if there was anything at all that could be done. Regina had remarked that the fairies would be able to do it, the Blue Fairy in particular, but they were gone. And he'd been forced to explain all that the Dark One and Piper had requested of him.

He had been…surprised, how little Emma had to say about Piper and Gold's deeds. He had expected her to be more outraged than she was, but she'd just muttered that he hadn't really done anything TOO bad while under it. Trapped a few people, sure, but they could find some way to get them back, something locked had to have a key they just had to find it. He'd learned later that Emma had just witnessed her mother sending Gold over the townline, had seen Piper join him and he could assume her lack of reaction was due to her shock, to her sorrow over losing her aunt. He didn't really care, he just wanted his heart fixed so the bloody pain would stop hitting him every ten seconds.

"They, uh call it the Internet," Belle tried to lighten the mood, "And it can help us. And once we get the fairies out of the hat, they can help us release everyone else, including that poor old man that you put in there."

"All because I left myself be tricked by that Crocodile," he grumbled, "How could I have been so weak?"

"You were just…blinded by love for Emma," Belle reassured him, "As terrible as it is to say, love can be as great a weapon as any sort of magic, especially when it comes to getting people to do what you want."

Hook nodded mutely at that, sighing and rubbing his face, "Let's get back to work."

~8~

"Hello dearie."

Ursula, former witch of the sea, gasped as she entered her small apartment in the middle of New York at the sound of a voice within the room, sitting on her couch in the dark, smirking at her, a blonde woman standing behind him, her hands resting on his shoulders.

"The hell did you get in here!?" Ursula demanded, her hand on her heart a moment before she glared at the two before her.

She had found a life in New York after she'd ended up in a realm without magic…as a fish feeder at an aquarium. Hardly glamorous, but it paid the bills for her small apartment. She'd been in the middle of yelling at the fish only a few short days ago, when she'd been approached by none other than the Dark One and the Pied Piper with a proposition to change the outcome of their fates, to make it so that the villains would, finally, have one up over the heroes. She didn't know what their real purpose was for recruiting her, they had tempted her plenty with talk of getting her her happy ending…but they hadn't said anything about what was in it for them.

Still, she didn't really care what they wanted so long as she would FINALLY get a chance at happiness.

It surprised her a little that the girl, Piper, had agreed to seek her out with Rumpelstiltskin, or as he liked to call himself in this world, Mr. Gold. Their last encounter with the girl had not been pleasant for either side and she knew enough of the girl to know that she was half-Siren, they did not forgive others easily. It was a true testament to how desperate they really were to get back to a realm with magic that SHE was coming to her for help.

"Locks are easy to pick," Piper stated, "Even without magic."

Ursula let out a huff at that, "You know," she shoved her way into her apartment, going about her business, trying to ignore them but keeping them in her peripheral vision as she did so, "I'm beginning to think you're a lot of talk, a lot of empty promises about happy endings, when all you do is break into my apartment to scare me to death."

"There are much easier ways to kill you than scaring you," Piper deadpanned, turning to lean against the back of the couch.

Ursula shot her a look at that, "I'm aware," she nearly hissed at Piper, but the blonde only smirked.

"Patience is a virtue, dearie," Gold moved to stand, taking a pained step around the couch with his cane to rest beside Piper, "We ARE gonna fix all your problems."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she rolled her eyes, pulling out some fish food to feed the ones in a small tank before her, "I know you well enough to know you don't care about me."

"No, I don't," Gold agreed, "I care about us," he gestured between himself and Piper, "You're lucky our problems just so happen to align. Now," he pulled out a mobile phone, "We've taken the first steps back. But we need to visit an old friend first. I hope you packed those bags I mentioned. We need to leave rather quickly."

Ursula held his gaze for a long moment before letting out a huff and going to grab her bags.

Gold waited till she'd stepped into a small bedroom in the back before turning to Piper, resting his forehead to hers as she turned to lean against him more, "Just a little longer, Pip," he murmured to her, lifting his head to press a kiss to her forehead, "Just a little longer."

~8~

Piper stood beside Gold, her arm linked through his, her grip on his arm tighter than it should have been as they walked up towards the large black and white mansion in Long Island, watching as police officers led a random man away from the building, a woman that could only be Cruella de Vil chasing after him, her hair black and white, her make up rather heavy as the police confiscated her possessions as well.

"So this is where she lives?" Ursula muttered, "I guess some of us are doing better than others."

"Look at this," Cruella cried crocodile tears, "This is too awful. Darling, do we need all these theatrics?" she wept to a policeman that ignored her.

"We're doing better," Gold remarked, resting his hand on Piper's and squeezing it.

"Sorry, lady," one of the cops tried to walk past with a rack of fur coats.

Cruella quickly snatched one off a hanger, glaring at the officer as he tried to take it back, "This was mine before!" she hissed.

Gold shook his head and started to walk forward, "Cruella de Vil," he called as the cops walked off towards the front of the house.

Cruella tensed, her back to them, "No one calls me that here."

"Well, I'm sorry, dearie," he smirked as Cruella straightened at that word, "But Cruella Feinberg doesn't have quite the same ring."

Slowly the black-and-white haired woman turned, "What in hell are you doing here?" she sneered as she observed them, the Dark One, the Pied Piper, and Ursula standing before her.

"Looking to regain our greater glory," Gold remarked, "A glory I can soon return to you both," he glanced between her and Ursula, "If you join Pip and me."

"I'm not going anywhere with you," Cruella nearly snarled.

"Perhaps you should reconsider that," Piper narrowed her eyes at the woman.

Gold patted her hand to calm her, knowing that things would be tense between the women and Piper given their last run in and some other newer developments making her temper shorter, but he was quite sure he would need the women if they were going to be able to get into Storybrooke and do what they needed to do without too much fuss, a distraction was always best to keep heroes busy after all.

"Things have changed," he offered Cruella, placing a mocking hand on his chest as he added, "Mea Culpa. Our last time together was less than ideal. But now?" he smirked, "Now all our interests align once more. You've lost all you have, and so have we," he gestured between himself and Piper, and Ursula, "And we don't want to lose anything else," he added, hint of an edge in his words that had Piper squeezing his hand to calm him this time, "That's why we're here, to put an end to you having everything taken away."

"Oh, not everything," Cruella grinned, turning and pressing a button to open her garage door, revealing a black and white, vintage car.

"And where are you gonna go with these paltry material possessions?" Gold taunted.

"To get myself some less paltry possessions."

"An empty pursuit," he waved it off, "You're gonna end up right back where you started."

"I will never go back to where I started," Cruella glared.

"We can get back everything you've lost and more," Gold tempted.

"You know, you talk a good game, Dark One, but can you deliver in a world with no magic where apparently walking is a challenge?" she eyed his cane clutched in his other hand, the one not linked with Piper's.

"It is called money," Piper smirked, "Something neither of us want for in this realm and it can do many things."

And it was true, she still had her accounts from when the first Dark Curse had struck, the life she'd had outside Storybrooke. They hadn't wanted for anything, for shelter or food or clothing...which had been in short supply given they'd left Storybrooke with nothing but the clothes on their backs essentially. But she still had her money saved, they had been able to purchase all they needed for the time being.

"But there _is_ true magic in this world," Gold added, "You just have to know where to look. I know you don't trust me. But the good news is, if you follow me, you won't have to," he eyed the woman, "Aren't you tired of feeling ordinary?"

Cruella huffed after a moment, nodding at the car, "Get in. Now then, darling, where are we going?"

"A quaint little town called Storybrooke," he answered, leading Piper over to the car and helping her in before sliding into the backseat with her, Ursula taking the front with Cruella, who barely waited till the doors had shut before she revved the engine and took off.

~8~

Piper leaned against Gold as they sat in the back of Cruella's car, her head resting on his shoulder, waiting for the line the car was in to move, just trying to keep awake and breathe.

"So why should I think this new plan will work when all the others have failed?" Cruella called back to them.

"Our failures in the past have been for one reason the odds were stacked against us," Gold stated, "Now we're gonna change the odds."

"With this author you keep babbling on about?" Ursula inquired.

"His book harnesses a great power, one that exceeds anything you've ever experienced, giving villains and heroes what he deems 'just desserts.' Our collective frustrations? They're because of his will, not our missteps."

Piper closed her eyes at how he was baiting them, falling silent, just letting him work his magic with his words. She could do the same, if she pleased, but right now she was more focused on letting him handle the situation. She was not in the best of moods, the two 'Queens of Darkness' as they had delighted to call themselves in the Enchanted Forest grating her nerves, and he had had prior experience with them, with getting them to do as he wished. He had told her of that when they first arrived in New York, when they had been in the aquarium and seen Ursula there.

It had sparked a plan in his mind, realizing Ursula was in the realm without magic, to use her, perhaps track down Cruella who had mysteriously disappeared from the Enchanted Forest as well, and see if they might still be of some use. They would prove useful in distracting the heroes while they worked behind the scenes. But to do it, they needed the women to agree.

"Well, I suppose that's better than blaming bad judgment and gin," Cruella muttered.

"Welcome to Mr. Cluck's!" a voice called through a speaker as they reached the order mark of the fastfood station they'd stopped at, "What can I get you?"

"One double cluck combo."

"Make it two," Ursula called, before glancing back at Gold and Piper, "Rumple?"

"No, thanks," he grimaced at the thought, "I'd like to survive for my happy ending. Pip?" he turned to her.

She shook her head, "Nothing for me."

"You need to eat," he reminded her, she'd only had a light breakfast and with how she was feeling, on top of how the land without magic was affecting her this time…she needed to keep up her energy.

"No," she gave him a firm look, "The thought of this…rubbish they call food makes me want to vomit."

"Don't you dare in my car," Cruella threatened as the car moved up, instructed to by the order taker.

"If I have yet to at Ursula's fish smell I do believe your precious car is safe," Piper spat back.

"Please hurry up," Gold gave Cruella a look, "I'm fairly certain this author's in Storybrooke. And if we want to enlist his help, we have to get there before the heroes do."

Piper sighed and settled back against Gold again, closing her eyes and trying to sleep now. It was better than dealing with Cruella's comments and Ursula's rather terrible smell.

~8~

Gold squinted through the front window of Cruella's car, keeping his eyes trained on the trees lining the deserted road they were currently travelling down, searching for one thing in particular…

"Stop the car!" he cried suddenly, spotting it. Cruella jammed on the brakes, the tires screeching as the car nearly skid to a halt. Gold squeezed Piper's hand and helped her out of the car, limping a bit as he hurried to a tree and snagged a tie dangling off it, "We're here," he looked back at his love.

Piper slowly made her way to his side, taking the tie and looking down at it before turning to gaze up the street, taking a few steps away from him to see the road better.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Ursula demanded, "Where is this Storybrooke?"

"Look, I confess, things aren't quite as I said…" Gold began.

"For a man who's preaching trust, you are getting off on the wrong foot," Cruella glared.

"But I…if I was completely untrustworthy, would I be telling you the truth now?" he began to explain, "The town line is 100 yards up that road," he gestured to where Piper was looking.

"I don't see any town," Ursula crossed her arms.

"Because it is under a cloaking protection spell," Piper turned to them, "One which makes it impossible to see or enter."

"A town you can't see or enter?"

"It's the truth," Gold defended, "The night I was banished, we attached this tie to that tree so we'd be able to find our way back."

Ursula scoffed at that, "Ok, let's say you are telling the truth. How are we supposed to cross that line without any magic?!"

Piper's eyes narrowed as Cruella pulled a gun, cocking it at Gold, "No more encores, Rumple. We're finished with your hazy instructions and your empty promises."

"Please put the gun down," Gold held up his hands, shifting to the side to block the woman's aim from Piper, "You're overreact…"

Piper nearly hissed as Ursula lashed out, knocking his cane away from him and causing him to stumble to the ground. She moved over to his side, reaching out with one hand to steady him, while her other curled around the end of his fallen cane.

"No more tricks!" Cruella demanded, "If we're about to walk into a trap, tell us now, darling, because out here, you're nothing more than a cripple, a coward with a real world ability to die."

Piper's jaw clenched at that and she turned, swinging the cane out and slamming it into Cruella's hand, knocking the gun out of it as she stood, "You are in NO position to make demands of US," Piper reminded her, "Try that again and it shall be your skull instead of your hand. Just because we are in a land without magic, does NOT mean we are helpless."

She had had enough of being helpless the last 6 weeks, she had never been helpless around the Queens of Darkness before, she was not going to start now just because of the circumstances.

Gold smirked at that, at how Cruella was gripping her hand as though it might be broken, before he stood, limping to Piper's side as she placed the cane on the ground, letting him take it, "Now, shall we talk about this more reasonably?"

Ursula and Cruella exchanged a glare, seeing that their extra threat had been lost in the bushes and nodded.

"You say you're banished," Cruella began, "Who banished you and why?"

"My cousin," Piper nearly spat the word, "Snow White, because we tried to free him of his Dagger's control."

There was NO reason for the women to know that Gold was truly free of the Dagger, it could prove a useful secret to keep later if they tried to one-up him by gaining possession of it.

The two women's eyes widened at that, both of them taking a step back, "Why would you do that?" Cruella gasped.

Ursula, however, was focused on something else, "Snow White is your cousin? You're family?" now THAT was something hard to believe, that the Pied Piper and Snow White were cousins.

Piper shook her head, "She is no family of mine," Piper defended, her hand gripping Gold's in a sign of just who she considered her family now.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. Emma and Henry, little Neal…they had done nothing to harm her. No, it had all been Snow White, and Snow White was the one she would blame for what had happened.

"Hmm," Ursula hummed, a slight smirk on her face, "Do we have a story for you."

Piper narrowed her eyes at that, curious.

"Familial ties are not what we're here to discuss," Gold cut in, "But our reasons for getting into the town. We're here for the same reason you are. Our happy ending," he would have rolled his eyes at that, it really was too easy to bait people when you knew what they wanted most, "And that is the truth. And what that is? Well that's our business, just like your reasons are yours. All of what we seek is just beyond that line," he gestured behind him, "So please, if you think you can find your way in this town, and face all that light magic without our help," he shrugged, seeming like he didn't care at all, "Then be my guest. But if you can just trust me, you won't just get inside Storybrooke, you'll be invited."

"Uh huh," Ursula scoffed, "Like the people of Storybrooke are gonna invite us in with you by our side. If Snow White could banish her own cousin, there's no chance in hell she'll let the girl back in."

Piper barely refrained from smirking, they didn't need to know that Mary Margaret hadn't banished her but she'd left on her own. They could have called the woman up, used a sob story to get her to let her back into the town, played on her guilt over what she'd done to find a way for HER to return. But that would have put them on the alert to look for Gold, that would have had them keeping an eye on her to make sure she wouldn't let the man back in.

No…they needed to get into the town first before anyone realized they were there.

"Yes, they will, dearie," Gold nodded, "Cos we won't be on your side."

Cruella eyed them a moment, "Alright. Start talking."

~8~

"The number's all cued up," Gold informed Ursula as he handed the woman his cellphone, "All you have to do is press the 'call' button."

"I know a phone works," she huffed, seizing the phone from him, glaring at the man and woman before her, "I just don't know if I can trust the man whose phone it is."

"Well then good thing you do not," Piper replied, "Because that is MY phone, and I always uphold my end of a bargain. Surely you have heard that much about me before you disappeared from the Forest."

Ursula's lips pursed at that, but she nodded.

"There's no reason not to trust either of us," Gold gestured between himself and Piper, "You have our phone, my entire plan. And tonight, if you decide not to come back for us and stay in Storybrooke and abandon us, abandon ME, I couldn't blame you."

They didn't need to know that they had a backup plan either. Ooh they had one person in the town that would try anything to get them back inside. But their contact wasn't exactly the most subtle, they would be found out and have to explain why they were investigating the townline. There was a reasonable excuse though, as they were not the only people to have left Storybrooke that day 6 weeks ago, but they would rather not force that person into a lie or a half-truth, they didn't want to manipulate him like that or get him involved…which was why it was important to make the two Queens of Darkness think they had all the power at the moment.

"That's why this time is different," Gold continued, "Because this time, our entire salvation depends not on you trusting me, but on me trusting you. Now are we in this together?"

"I guess you'll find out tonight, won't you?" Ursula smirked, pressing call and lifting the phone to her ear, Cruella leaning over to listen in though the phone was on speaker, allowing Gold and Piper to hear it as well, "Regina," she greeted as the line picked up.

"The sea bitch," was Regina's greeting.

"I've missed you, too. How are you?"

"Mostly wondering how a plate of undercooked calamari ended up with the Pied Piper's cell phone."

"I stole it from her."

"You?" Regina scoffed, before falling silent, they could almost hear a shuffling on the other side, Regina wasn't alone, "And where is she now? Shouldn't she be with the Dark One too?"

"Oh of course," Ursula replied, "She wouldn't leave his side for anything. Which means they're both still back at the dive bar where Cruella and I drugged him."

"Cruella?"

"Yes, we're back together. Rumple and his little maid found us in New York, said he needed some old friends. Told us a tearful tale about how they had been living in a quaint town until he ruined everything for his beloved 'Pip.' But he said it was a special place where villains could find redemption. Regina, Rumpelstiltskin told us how you've changed, and we've changed, too. We've learned our lessons, and we'd like a chance to prove it to you. Please. Let us in."

"Sorry, dear, but we have enough problems without inviting two…"

Her words were cut off by a deep, glutteral roaring in the distance.

Ursula had to smirk at that, glancing back at Gold who nodded, telling her that that part of the trick was working, "Is one of those problems a hell-bat with beady eyes and devil horns?"

"…how did you know that?"

"Because that's the exact same sound it made before it tried to kill me."

"Oh, so you've faced this creature before?"

"Yes, and I can tell you exactly what it wants."

"How convenient," there was silence for a moment, "Fine. Tell us what it wants."

"And then you'll let us in?"

"Even if I wanted to, I couldn't," Regina scoffed.

Ursula let out a mock sigh, "Well, then I guess you're on your own."

She frowned a moment later, Piper stiffening as they could hear another voice, Emma's voice, whispering on the other line, something about a scroll…but then Regina was back.

"Alright, squid," the former Queen huffed, "If your information pans out, we'll consider letting you in. Those are my terms."

"You've got a deal," Ursula smiled, "The Chernabog," she began, knowing that was the same creature the Dark One had lured her, Cruella, and Maleficent to facing ages ago, "What it wants is simple."

"And what IS it?"

"To devour the heart with the darkest potential," she smirked, "Have fun," and with that, she ended the call, turning to look at Gold as she tossed Piper back her phone.

"You better hope this worked, Dark One," Cruella glared.

"Oh, I assure you, it will," he grinned.

"Now," Piper began, "About this…story you wish to tell about Snow White," she eyed them, "Do tell."

~8~

Mary Margaret nearly jumped when her phone rang on the counter of her kitchen area in her apartment, quickly picking it up when she saw it was Emma calling, "Emma?" she blinked, frowning as she listened to her daughter talk, "What?" she breathed, shaking her head, before forcing herself to swallow and calmly add, "Ok. Be careful," before Emma ended the call. She took a breath and looked at David who was watching her with concern, "They found a way to stop the beast."

"Great," David beamed…though it fell quickly at the look on his wife's face, "Why aren't you smiling?"

"Because Cruella and Ursula…they're here."

David's entire countenance grew tense and alarmed at just those six words.

That was…not good, at all.

~8~

Mary Margaret nearly jumped out of David's car before it could even stop at the edge of town, seeing Emma and Regina, the Chernabog nowhere in sight which had to mean that they'd defeated it…but there were far more pressing matters to see to now that they could also see Ursula and Cruella standing just on the other side of the line.

"Emma!" Mary Margaret called, running over to her daughter, David close behind.

"Are you alright?" David looked her over.

"Yes," Emma said quickly, shifting slightly as she moved to focus on Regina, "So Cruella and Ursula were telling the truth."

"It would appear so," Regina sighed.

Emma nodded, pulling the Snow Queen's scroll out of her pocket, something she'd thought might help get people across the town line, much like how the Snow Queen had used it to find Storybrooke in the first pace as the magic around the town was the woman's doing as well.

"No, wait," Mary Margaret stepped up, "Emma, I…I think this is a bad idea," she glanced at David, who nodded, and back to her daughter, "Look, they may have told the truth this time. That doesn't mean they can be trusted."

Emma frowned at that, "Mom, this doesn't sound like you. You always believe the best in everyone. Well, almost everyone."

Mary Margaret flinched at that last remark even though Emma had said it under her breath, "I'm also a realist."

Emma could have sworn she heard her aunt scoffing and snorting in her head at her mother's words, Snow White? A realist? Mary Margaret didn't even come close to that definition either.

"Emma, she's right," David agreed, "Things were just starting to get back to normal in Storybrooke…"

"You, too?" Emma shook her head at them, not sure where this was coming from but getting a sinking feeling in her gut that something else was going on here.

"Look, we don't know anything about these two," Mary Margaret stated, Emma eyeing her a moment her words, almost…almost sure that that had been a lie, but…but it was ridiculous, her parents had no reason to lie to her nor would it be a smart thing to do after what happened with Piper, "They could be looking for redemption, but they also could be as evil as Mr. Gold or Zelena or worse."

"Well we won't know about Gold," Emma reminded her mother, this time not feeling the guilt she'd felt before as her mother flinched at the words, "You didn't give him a chance to prove if he was evil or just dark," she could hear the echo of Piper's words in her own, their talk on the docks coming back to her, remembering the woman that looked at her without care if she was going to hurt her with her magic or if she was some horrible monster if she did it, "But those two out there," she gestured at the townline, "They just helped us, and we made a deal."

"Doesn't matter," Mary Margaret shook her head, "It's a bad idea. They're villains."

Emma opened her mouth to tell her that it DID matter, that the deal meant honoring her word, and to ask the woman if she was going to make the exact same mistake that had driven her cousin away and put a wedge between their family…

When Regina seemed to sense what she was about to say and cut in, "You're right," she told Mary Margaret, "They are. They're horrible. But not as horrible as I was once. And if _I_ deserve a second chance, so do they," the reminder that Mary Margaret hadn't give that chance to Gold and the consequences of it went unspoken, "How can I sit here, looking for my happiness, and deny two others a chance at theirs?"

"I'm with Regina," Emma nodded, "We let them in."

And, with that, she turned and tossed the scroll over the line, watching as the two women picked it up and got into Cruella's car. A moment later the engine revved and the car was moving, crossing the line and pausing just beside them.

"Welcome to Storybrooke," Regina greeted the women, her voice business only.

"Thank you, Regina," Cruella smiled at her, "You won't regret it."

Regina's own grin grew threatening, "I better not."

Cruella gave a small wave before she pushed her car on, driving her and Ursula into town as the heroes watched, not having any idea what was coming to them.

~8~

Night had fallen as Gold and Piper sat back near the tree they'd tied his tie to, keeping the road in view, but not daring to get closer to it as they spoke quietly. They couldn't see if Cruella or Ursula were there, they didn't want to risk their particular conversation being overheard.

"What do you think Pip?"

She let out a breath, squeezing the hand that was firmly clenched in her own, "I know not what to think," she muttered, "I find their tale…"

"Unbelievable?" he supplied, nodding, "To imagine the beloved and pure Snow White doing such a thing…it IS unbelievable."

"And yet, if it is true…"

Gold eyed her, squeezing her hand so she would look at him, "What if it is Pip?" he searched her eyes, "This may be what you need to…"

"I do not want to forgive her," she nearly hissed, "And when I step across that line, when my heart returns to a magical area, it WILL harden. I will not want to forgive her then either."

"It will cause strife," he reminded her, "Between you and the family you DO still have," and had had ample experience with that, with how much it could hurt and wound you, with the tension it could cause, with how it could drive away the rest of her family if she wasn't careful.

"I have but four I care for in that town," Piper shook her head, "And two are either too young to do anything or has no memory of why they should care."

"But the other two DO," he countered, "I am not saying to forgive her, I am merely suggesting that actions be put into play that would allow it to be possible, if you change your mind down the road."

"I doubt that will happen."

"But it could," he reached out to touch her face, "I made many mistakes with my boy, with my family, I won't let you make the same."

"You have no idea what I shall become when we cross that line," she warned him.

"Whatever it is, I am sure I'll enjoy it though," he grinned darkly, "I love you dark and dangerous," he stroked her cheek, but grew serious, "But I think it is best to decide now, so I might be able to help you remember that it is possible forgiveness may be desired later. Tell me now, Pip, do you want it to be possible?"

Piper was silent a long while, considering his words. She did not want to forgive Mary Margaret for what she'd done, no…she wanted to take David by the throat and throw him over the line, make her cousin suffer the same fate she had.

But even then she knew what Mary Margaret put her through in sending her true love over the line, the events and consequences that followed, would never amount to the pain of just shoving one man over the line. It would require more than that, but she couldn't bring herself to harm her other family members through a vendetta against her cousin.

She knew, if she did not come to a decision now, have Gold looking over her and helping to nudge events, she might end up at a point where her Siren instincts drove her to do something SHE would regret, much like it had happened with Baelfire. And she wanted to avoid that more than anything.

"Keep in mind," Gold added after a moment, "In order for the possibility of forgiveness to arise…revenge must first be taken," he leaned in, "A Siren's heart cannot soften against a betrayal unless retribution is dealt."

Piper smirked at that, "And if Cruella and Ursula are to be believed…" she nodded, "What a fine retribution that would be."

He leaned in, about to kiss her…when there was a clatter to the side of them, on the road. They looked over to see a scroll rolling down the road from where it had been tossed, much like when they had been watching from the shadows of the trees when Ursula and Cruella had been allowed into the town. They struggled to their feet, walking over to it. Gold leaned down and picked it up, rolling it open for them to see the strange symbols on it, before lowering it…the two of them now able to see Cruella and Ursula standing just on the other side of the line, waiting for them.

"We're back, darling," Cruella smirked.

"You didn't think we abandoned you, did you?" Ursula taunted.

"Of course not," Gold grinned, glancing at Piper, "We're a team," he held out his hand to her, squeezing it as they walked towards the town, his limp easing to the point of nonexistence as they crossed, though he felt Piper's grip tighten. He slowed, glancing at her, waiting as she opened her eyes from where they had squeeze shut, waiting till she started breathing again, till her body relaxed, "Pip?"

She took a breath and nodded to herself, looking up at him, "Rummy."

He nodded, lifting her hand to kiss it before they started to walk towards the town, Ursula and Cruella flanking them on either side, though he was careful to keep himself between Piper and Ursula. It had been one thing to force civility while in the land without magic…now that they both had their magic restored…it was safer for all parties to keep them away from each other.

"Now what do we do?" Cruella asked.

"Now we begin our task," Gold stated, "It's simple, really. Continue to repent your wicked ways. Make friends. Build relationships."

"And just what will you be doing?"

"We'll continue our work behind the scenes, of course."

It was a half-truth really. They needed to be behind the scenes just for the moment, just the next moment where they could be alone without Ursula or Cruella watching them. There was something he had to do with Piper, that he did not want anyone else to see or witness. Something he knew Piper would fight him tooth and nail not to do, but if it was just them, he knew he could talk her into it.

There was more at stake than just the two of them if she refused after all.

"Sounds like we're doing everything, again," Ursula commented bitterly.

Gold stopped and turned to face her, "How do you think we got in here? And how do you think that Chernabog was released?"

"How do you think we KNEW it would be released?" Piper agreed, "We were the ones to set it loose in the first place."

"It was me," Gold nodded, "I'M the Oxford professor who translated the spell for Belle, the spell that released the fairies and also just _happened_ to unleash that monstrosity?" he scoffed.

Piper had not been pleased to learn that the spell Belle had sent him would release the fairies from the hat. If it were up to her, they ought to stay there, especially Blue. But he had explained that there was a creature in it, a Chernabog, one that would be able to be defeated by the heroes of the town…but also one that Ursula and Cruella had experience fighting. They needed something inside the town that only those outside it had knowledge of, so that they could bargain for entrance. Information on what the creature wanted for passage to the town.

"So I ask you," he continued, "Consider what I was able to do on the outside, at my lowest point, without magic. And then consider what I'm able to do in here. So maybe we should stop bickering and get on with it. So our team is one member short. It's time to reunite the band."

"You don't mean…" Cruella gasped.

"Maleficent," Ursula frowned.

"But she's dead!"

"Not entirely," Gold shook his head, walking faster as he felt Piper grow more tense beside him, he really needed to find a bit of privacy…

"Well, just what does that mean?" Cruella huffed.

"It means we have our work cut out, much to prepare."

"I don't like it," Ursula shook her head, "Dead or alive, we got a bigger problem. Regina."

"Regina is hardly a problem," Piper muttered.

"That beast was unable to defeat her!" Ursula pointed out, "As bad as Maleficent is, Regina's dark heart is far worse."

"You are so filled with assumptions," Gold nearly spat, starting to get annoyed with the questions now, "Regina is not the one we have to worry about."

"What?"

"That beast _did_ seek out the heart with the greatest _potential_ for darkness, yes," he agreed, "But it wasn't going after Regina."

"It wanted Emma," Piper stated.

She hadn't liked that tidbit, but she had faith that Regina's darkness, that the power of the savior and the entire town would keep her safe. And it wasn't actually a BAD thing that she'd been targeted, it wasn't that Emma was a threat to turn dark, no…after what Ursula and Cruella had told her about her dear, dear cousin, it made sense why Emma would have the greatest _potential_.

And after the story she'd been told, if it was true, well…she could only imagine what would be going through Snow White's head about it all now.

~8~

Emma smiled sadly as she watched Henry looking over his storybook in Granny's with a magnifying glass, ever since the Blue Fairy, after she had taken a break in Granny's from healing Hook's heart, had told them that the Author of the book left clues in his words, that was all Henry had been doing, going over every page with a fine-toothed comb.

"What do you suppose the boy is up to now?" Hook asked as he sat beside her.

"Being Henry," she murmured, watching her son, "If anyone's gonna get that author out of the book, it's him."

"Hmm," he eyed her, "You've become quite the optimist, Swan."

"No," she shook her head, "I just want him to be happy, to succeed. He really wants to, to find a way to help. He's been devastated since Aunt P and Gold left."

Hook tensed at the mention of them, "Still calling the fish, Aunt P then? Despite what she's done?"

Emma shot him a narrow-eyed look, "'Despite what she's done?'" she half raised an eyebrow at that, "Excuse me, Captain Hook, do YOU want to share all _your_ past indiscretions with me? Maybe the ones that happened behind my back while you were claiming you were changing?"

"Sorry, love," he looked away.

Emma sighed, "Look, Piper is my aunt. I trust her, and I trust that she wouldn't do anything to hurt me or Henry. And yeah, call me crazy, but I was thinking if the EVIL Queen should be given a chance to prove she's not a danger to the town, so should the DARK One. So yes, I do still call her Aunt P. And if you have a problem with that, keep it to yourself. I get enough from my parents trying to talk me around to thinking what Mary Margaret did was right and 'for the greater good' and all that crap, I don't want to hear it from you too."

Hook held up his hands in surrender, though he slowly lowered them after a moment's thought, "Speaking of the Princess…aren't they supposed to be here?" he nodded to the other side of Emma where Neal was sitting in his little mobile cot, sound asleep.

"Honestly," Emma let out a breath, "I don't really care what they're doing right now. They'll get here when they get here."

She was trying, hard, not to be angry with her parents over what happened with Piper. Yes, what Piper had been planning, how it had all happened behind everyone's back was bad…but really? What did her parents expect the girl to do? If she had told anyone whose silence they couldn't keep with assurity about their plans…the entire town would be after them to stop them. And she could get it, why Gold wanted to be free of the dagger. Zelena had gotten a hold of it and Gold had been forced to terrorize and hurt people he didn't want to hurt. She could understand wanting him to have his freewill back. She could understand why they took the precaution of not telling anyone what they were doing.

She just couldn't get behind what her mother had done in sending Gold over the line. She agreed with Henry 100 percent with his reasons why it had been pointless and only caused Piper hurt. She was trying to understand them, trying to look at it from a 'ruler' standpoint, but even then it just…she couldn't make it stick. Maybe she was just…closer to Piper than she realized, their talks about what made a monster, how far the woman had gone to protect her, she just couldn't see her aunt as being that much of a threat and, by association, Gold too.

She was trying not to be angry, but it was hard. And their reaction to Ursula and Cruella coming to Storybrooke hadn't helped settler her feelings about them.

It just felt like they were hiding something from her.

~8~

Mary Margaret looked at David as they pulled up near the edge of town, the rain pouring around them making it hard to see anything in the night, but they knew they weren't alone. They had made the call, after all, to meet with the ones hiding in the darkness just outside their car. They nodded, grabbing their umbrellas and getting out of the car, moving to stand in front of the headlights, walking a few steps…

When headlights of Cruella's car blared to life ahead of them, causing them to flinch back, squinting their eyes a moment till they adjusted to the blinding light. They frowned seeing someone walking towards them, just one person. It was fine though, they just needed Cruella or Ursula, which ever was fine and…

"Hello Snow White," a voice spoke before the person walking towards them became visible in the lights.

"Rose," Mary Margaret gasped, her eyes widening as she saw her cousin walking towards her in the rain, a dark blue umbrella keeping her safe from the water, her hair pulled back, her clothing dark, making her skin seem paler than normal, the glare of the lights keeping them from seeing much about her beyond her exposed face and hands.

"But…Cruella and Ursula…" David shook his head.

"Told me a rather _interesting_ story," Piper cut in, smirking as she looked at them, Mary Margaret swallowing hard, trying to hold in her tears at how…unaffected Piper was to look at them, how little emotion she had in her eyes besides a coldness and an almost dark glee, "About a prince and a princess and a dragon egg."

"No," Mary Margaret reached out for David's arm, seeming physically startled by what Piper was saying.

"Oh yes," Piper tilted her head to eye them, as though calculating something in her mind.

It was true, the story that Ursula and Cruella had told her. At first she hadn't thought to believe it, it was so...not Snow White. But seeing the reaction no the woman's face, on the Shepherd's face...it was confirmation enough that the tale had been true. Which did mean one very important thing.

The plans had changed, and greatly so.

She would need to speak to Gold about what to do next, but it appeared the Queens of Darkness posed another purpose now...or they would if she had her way, which she likely would. Her true love had yet to deny her anything.

"I know _all_ about your past indiscretions in the Enchanted Forest," she continued, "I know what you did to Maleficent, to Emma," her eyes narrowed at that, "I could even guess _why_."

Mary Margaret flinched at how hard Piper's voice grew in those last five words, "Rose…"

"I am _the Piper_ to you," Piper cut in, her tone cold, "Your sins have now come to light, Snow White. And now you must reap the fruits of what you have sown," she looked between them, "Your actions, their consequences, extend further and to more people than even you could imagine. And now?" she shook her head, "Now it is _war_. Heroes against Villains. And I shall protect you from them no longer."

She gave them one more smirk before she turned to walk back towards the car.

"I'm sorry!" Mary Margaret called out, making her stop, "I am. I'm so sorry Rose."

Piper paused a single moment, then turned to face her, her expression blank yet hard, "Oh I rather think you shall be," she told them, and continued on her way, leaving Mary Margaret and David standing in the rain, in the darkness, their hearts heavy at her words.

It was war now, it truly was, and this time they would be on opposing sides.

A/N: I got a few asks about Emma and Henry in relation to Piper's heart hardening against Snow, so I just want to answer it here first before talking about the chapter :) Emma and Henry (and Neal) are safe. Piper's half-human side allows her just the smallest bit of control over her instinctive reactions to betrayal. She can see that it was ONLY Snow that had done the deed. She can see that Emma was equally as horrified and wasn't even considering doing the same thing to Gold. Given that Henry was wanting to bring both her and Gold into his Operation with Regina, she knows Henry wasn't the one that wanted her and Gold out of town. They are safe...Snow though...well, as Piper said here, this means war }:)

I can say that the bonds between Piper, Emma, and Henry will actually grow much stronger in this half of the story but we'll have to wait and see how ;)

Some notes on reviews...

Hook is alive, his heart was cut but not crushed, which was sort of touched on in this chapter the result of that ;)

I definitely think that Snow missed that part about Piper letting him have free reign because, so long as he didn't hurt her family, she really didn't care. I think a part of Snow was still thinking of her in terms of Rose Red, that she would care a little about the people, that she wouldn't let it go THAT far, and then the fact she put the town to sleep instead of killing them (despite what Piper told her about her reasons why), a part of Snow thinks that Piper would care a little about the town and maybe that was why Gold hadn't attacked before. But Henry definitely reasoned the flaw in that reasoning too ;)

Emma and Snow have the dagger :( Gold dropped it and Hook's heart when he was finally freed of it, the dagger clattered down to where the others were and Snow grabbed it, she tried to command the Dark One and it didn't work (because he was free), she handed it to Emma at the townline so she could hug/push Gold over it :( Piper, in her devastation and feelings of betrayal, left without the dagger...which is something they're going to try and get back }:)

I don't think Robin would abort the child either, I meant it in a general/modern sense that I don't think anyone could or should look down on a woman for choosing to abort an unwanted-pregnancy conceived through rape, not that Robin would :( I do very much hate that plot twist, but I'm not going to ignore it in the stories, no, I do have a few twists in mind that, to me, would make watching the season play out more bearable if the writers don't have some way to change a few things. So the whole thing wouldn't be erased, but there would be some twists that would allow me to stomach it more in the stories even if I can't in the actual show ;) Ursula, from what I took of her in the show, isn't the sea goddess but named after her, so she's more a sea witch at this point, she and Piper have a small history together that we'll see in the next chapter ;) But they do NOT get on at all. The only reason they were civil before was their lack of powers and magic, now that they're back, and with Gold on Piper's side, there'll be more butting heads coming from them ;)

I can understand the frustration :) Things take time to change and there's things on both sides, for both sexes that they both did wrong over the years that have to change. I feel like women, for the most part, joined the work force because there really isn't much to do at home and a lack of stimulation can be really bad for your mental and physical health. Like, after the kids go to school, there's only so much cleaning you can do and laundry you can do in a day if you've been doing it every single day. Your house is already clean, there's 3 shirts for laundry and not worth wasting product on, there's 0 things to do after that but sit there and wait for the kids to come home. So I can understand women wanting to branch out, to be able to sustain themselves, in the event their spouse possibly dies or leaves them, and stimulate their minds with work outside the home :) So in a general sense of mental and physical health, getting a job was probably very important for women to be happy and be able to keep their homes happy and healthy too :) It's definitely both sides that have to work on things, sexism in the workplace is bad, but so is female rape of male victims. One of my male law professors in college had actually mentioned the women not getting charged as much for crimes and the reason for it is that most people, for so long, genuinely and truly thought women as being lesser and weaker and less capable of doing _anything_ at all, not just crimes, they were mostly a joke so when someone said some woman did a crime, they laughed it off because people genuinely and actually thought women were too stupid to be able to accomplish it, too weak to be able to force a man to do anything. Both thoughts are very wrong, to think that or to do the crimes in general :( I don't think men can be fired for a one time offense of staring at someone's shirt thought, I think they might just get asked not to do it or to be polite, because even in general public, in a less professional setting, it's still not polite to stare at a woman's chest openly. It's actually a little ironic about the courts though, because in the ancient and even medieval world, the courts were very much biased against women, the men had all the right to everything in a woman's life, her land, her money, her titles, even the woman's body, the woman herself (there are contracts out there that literally call women property instead of human beings). It's changed recently and I agree the law should be blind to gender or race or wealth or anything, but that rarely happens across all boards and it's something that needs to change :(

I can say we'll see a moment of Piper's birth in a chapter yup ;)

Lol, I can say that we'll find out before the story is over if Piper is pregnant or not ;)

I have no idea what the final battle is :( That confused me too. Like I was expecting the curse breaks and there's this huge, epic showdown between Emma and Regina or something...and then we had nothing :/ It would have been something if the magic returned while the curse was still in place, lol, I'm imagining what Regina or Gold would have done to the town if the people still had no idea what was going on...which is probably a little evil of me lol :) I've definitely got a lot planned for Emma's darkness and Henry in the next half of the story, I'm very excited to get to it :)

Hook will always have a hard time proving he loves Emma to Piper, she's got it set in her head that he's too focused on Emma and it's not healthy for either of them. If he ever manages to change or do something that has nothing to do with what Emma would think of it, and keep with it, she might start to ease up ;) Maybe in Season 5 lol :)

David's sort of in a hard place. Like he wants to support his wife, because she's devastated and having yet another family member say she was wrong would just crush her and he doesn't want to hurt her. But at the same time, even HE feels like what she did was too rash, but also he feels like they couldn't just sit there and wait to see if Gold would attack the town and risk someone getting hurt just to see if he changed :/ She's starting to see it was wrong, but she's clinging to it needing to be right so that she doesn't completely breakdown over betraying her cousin like that :( I can say Pinocchio is safe too, Piper counts him more 'her son' than 'Snow's people' :) I like to think Swanfire could have been a lovely thing if some things were different, or if we'd gotten to see more of Neal and his inner thoughts about things. I plan for them to be more present in my Lyssa story than here ;) Lol, I think a few people might join you with some torches and their pitchforks too ;)


	23. Throw Down the Gauntlet

Throw Down the Gauntlet

Piper stood before a cabinet in the Dark Castle's main room, eyeing the various objects stashed within it, curious. She had seen the Dark One using them in a variety of ways, but this was the first time she was looking at them all up close, being able to reach out and touch them, examine them. They were all rather lovely looking, all so tempting. She pulled a dagger out, not the Dark One's dagger no, that was stashed safely in her boot, but a rather ornate one, bejeweled handle, the blade very sharp…

"Don't cut yourself, dearie."

She didn't outwardly flinch at the voice of Rumpelstiltskin himself calling out behind her back, though her eyes did snap up from the dagger. She rather hated when he appeared via magic, it was harder to hear his song approaching. He did it on purpose, she knew, he loved surprising her, especially when she was on ladders or up higher than normal. He enjoyed startling her to see if she might fall off it so he could catch her. She wasn't sure if it was a small want of playing the hero in that way or if he just liked holding her in his arms but she wouldn't begrudge him it…she rather enjoyed the rush of falling and being proven over and over that he would always catch her, and being in his arms was rather nice.

"I do not see why you concern yourself with if I should cut myself or not," she murmured, continuing to examine the dagger though her interest in it had faded quickly with his return from his latest deal, "You would heal it regardless."

"I prefer to have my treasures unblemished."

She snorted at that, setting the knife down and turning to face him, "Then you had best stop calling me a treasure, I am as blemished and broken as possible."

"No," he shook his head, stepping closer to her, "You are perfection in all that you are."

She looked away at that, feeling a traitorous blush creeping up her face. She knew what his words were meant to mean, she was perfect as she was now. Whatever cracks existed in her, those were cracks of the person she used to be, not the person she was now. It was almost like…and she hated to use such a innocent comparison…a butterfly. A caterpillar that spun a cocoon, that hid from the world…and broke free when it was ready, becoming better than it was.

Rose Red had been the caterpillar, the Pied Piper was the butterfly...a dangerous, deadly, poisonous butterfly that would sooner gouge an eye out than land on a flower…but a butterfly nonetheless.

"You took quite a while," she remarked, changing the topic as she shut the cabinet door and stepped towards him, meeting him half way.

"Yes," he huffed, "It seems the good people of Camelot are quite stubborn," he hummed, leaning in to press a kiss to her forehead, "I shall make it up to you for being so late in my return."

"You should have stayed later," she smirked, "I was examining your toys."

He giggled at her use of calling them toys. Anyone else would have said it to taunt him, to criticize him, to make it sound more like they were mere baubles and not as powerful as they were. But Piper called them that for the entertainment they could bring, the chaos they could cause. He rather liked the thought of her playing with his 'mere baubles,' just imaging what she could do with control of some of them sent a shiver down his spine.

"And how did you find them?"

"Interesting," she mused, "Some confusing, others dull."

He pouted childishly at the dull remark, "I shall have to remedy that then, ooh!" he pointed at the ceiling, "I believe I have," before flicking his wrist, causing an object to appear in his hand, what looked like a gauntlet from a suit of armor, older and more wore, made of a darker metal.

He held it out to her as though offering her a gift, complete with a teasing bow, which made her grin and reach out to take the metal hand, examining it, "This is what you went to Camelot for?"

"Mhmm," he hummed.

"Then it was a beneficial trip?"

"For me," he giggled, eyeing the gauntlet with glee, "Not so much for Camelot. A souvenir. Clean it for me, will you?" he gave her what she was sure was an attempt at a puppy dog's look with a pouting lip…

It just looked ridiculous on the Dark One though.

Still, she smiled, "But of course," she nodded, "Might I inquire what it does?"

"What makes you think it does anything, Pip?"

"You would not take a mere gauntlet," she reasoned, turning it over in her hand, "And as it lacks the arm it was attached to…I assume you only wanted the gauntlet."

"Too right you are Pip," he grinned, clapping his hands, "It's a magic gauntlet with a very specific power. It can locate anyone's greatest weakness. For almost everyone, that weakness is the thing they love most. That…" he tapped the gauntlet, "Will point me in the right direction."

"Hmm…" she hummed this time, raising her gaze to his, "May I?"

"I'd be disappointed if you didn't," he gestured for her to go on.

Piper slipped the gauntlet onto her hand, willing it to show her the Dark One's greatest weakness…and immediately her hand was yanked down to her boot, pulling the dagger free and holding it before her.

Rumpelstiltskin was silent, watching her, waiting for her reaction to that given what he'd just told her about weaknesses.

"Well," she huffed, "That was rather anticlimactic. Show me what I already know."

His eyes narrowed at her a moment, "You're not…upset? That it is not you?"

"Should I be?" she countered, pulling the gauntlet off and returning the dagger to her boot, "The Dagger IS your weakness," she reasoned, "It controls you, it limits you," she tilted her head a moment, "Did you think I would believe the Dagger was what you 'loved most' merely because that is what weakens most people?" she tsked him teasingly, "Shame on you Dark One, to think that I would ever consider you to be 'almost everyone' in your words."

He shook his head at her, impressed, "I love you Pip."

She smirked at that, "And I you," she returned, before waving the gauntlet in front of him, "Care to find out my own?"

He shook his head, though he took the gauntlet back, "I already know yours," he glanced at her, "Your cousin."

She nodded at that, in that instance she supposed she was like everyone else, her love for her cousin was her greatest weakness. She would do anything to keep Snow White safe, up to and including killing the man in front of her with his own Dagger, assuming the power and prison that was the Dark One, if he dared become a threat to her cousin.

And he knew it too.

She eyed the gauntlet in his hands, "I hope you shall forgive if I take care with the gauntlet later in the day?"

"Oh?" he looked up at her, tilting his head at question of why she wouldn't clean it now.

"I grew remiss in examining your toys," she explained, "I do believe the clothes I washed should be dry by now. I should collect them."

"Yes," he nodded, "Of course, clean clothing would be needed after the trip I had."

Piper waited till he turned, likely to bathe, before calling out, "Of course, if you wished to go without, I would not speak against it," she nearly laughed when she saw him stop dead at her words, "I would not mind, not at all. It would, in fact, be a sight I would most enjoy…though your clients would be rather startled."

He turned to her, his eyes narrowed as he caught her playful taunt, "Ooh but it would be quite unfair for myself to be so freed and not yourself," he eyed her, "And I would have no clients if that were to happen."

"Oh?" she mimicked.

"They would be dead for just glancing at you," he told her, the threat ringing true in his words.

She smirked, "Well, then, I should get those clothes, should I not?"

He chuckled at that, "Allow me to assist…" he flicked his hand and she disappeared in a swirl of red smoke, appearing just outside the castle, in a small courtyard near the woods where her lines of clothing had been strung up.

"My many thanks," she murmured to the wind, knowing he was listening. She shook her head and turned, moving to the clothing lines and began to pull the garments off.

She had gotten halfway done when she heard a small noise at the other end of the courtyard, near the forest, a barking noise. She frowned and made her way to it to see a small Dalmatian puppy sitting there, staring at her.

Her eyes narrowed, "Get yourself gone," she shooed the puppy away. But it just whined and barked, lifting its hand to her, "Go!" she gestured to the woods, but it still wouldn't budge, "Off with you."

When it still refused to move she turned and picked up a stick, waving it in front of the puppy before throwing it towards the woods, the little dog turning and rushing off after it. She shook her head at that and turned, to go back to her tending…

Only to gasp as tentacles encircled her waist, wrapping around her, right up to her mouth, covering it as she was yanked back and into the forest…

~8~

Rumpelstiltskin frowned as he made his way into the courtyard of his castle, calling out for Piper. It was late, the sun was starting to set and, no matter how distracted or 'remiss' she might have gotten in her caretaking duties, he knew it wouldn't take her as long as it had been to finish gathering the clothes.

"Pip?" he called, pausing at the edge of the yard when he saw that the clothing was still there, wafting in the breeze, "Pip?" he stepped closer to the clothing, reaching out to one to keep it out of his sight, looking around for her, "Piper?"

He tensed more and more with each step across the courtyard, knowing in his heart that Piper wouldn't have run away. She had seemed happy there, with him, as Mistress of his castle instead of the caretaker even though she insisted on keeping those duties to tend to as part of their deal. She was happy there, she was, he gave her all the freedom she wanted, he protected her, so there was no reason for her to run off.

As far as he knew, her cousin was still in the middle of her honeymoon, she was safe. So there was no threat that would draw her away, there was no one that knew her true identity besides himself.

His jaw tensed as he realized what had to have happened, someone had stolen her from him.

NOT the wisest thing a person could do.

The nearer he got to the edge of the yard, the more he began to sense a familiar magic lingering just at the edge, two sets of magic actually.

Ursula, the sea witch, and Cruella de Vil, he would recognize their magical marks no how vague they were. He looked up, hearing a bird cawing in the trees and spotted a black one watching him, and there was Maleficent's little spy as well.

He reached the end of the yard and looked down, seeing a sand dollar lying in the dirt. He kicked it away, waving his hand as it rolled off, until a small image of Piper appeared from it, in the glow the dollar was now giving off. He could make out the top half of her body, her hands bound before her, though she didn't appear injured.

If anything, she seemed furious…and her voice in the message that came after it strengthened that notion.

"Rumpelstiltskin," Piper began, her voice low and hard, the barest hint of a tremble in it though he knew, where most would mistake it as fear, it was restrained fury, "I have been _requested_ to demand of you the gauntlet of Camelot in exchange for my life," her lips pursed at that and he could see the distaste in her eyes from there, she hated being a bargaining chip, being bait, being leverage, it had been her entire reason for coming to him for protection from Regina, she hadn't wanted to let herself become just that against her cousin and now she'd been taken as one for him, "If you wish to see me alive again," he almost smirked at the roll of her eyes she gave at that rather generic threat, "Then bring the gauntlet to the base of Demon's Bluff at midnight."

He would have laughed at the expression on her face the moment before the magic on the sand dollar wore off, she was livid…murderous even…oh it would be such fun to watch her take her own revenge against the women that had taken her. He would have laughed…had HE not been equally as furious.

"You!" he pointed up at the trees, at the bird watching him, "I know where you came from! Tell your master I know who she is and she's just crossed a line!"

He glared at the bird as it cawed and flew into the air before he disappeared in a swirl of red smoke.

~8~

Rumpelstiltskin stormed across a small bluff, the moon high behind him, the gauntlet clenched tightly in his hands. The expression on his face would have been enough to send anyone scurrying…or fleeing…away from him he appeared on such a warpath. But he knew that it was exactly the reaction the trio of women would want. And he was too angry to care if his reaction was playing into their plans or not.

"I have what you want, dearie," he called out, holding the gauntlet above his head, hearing the black birds cawing in the distance, "Now show yourself!"

It was silent for a moment before someone was shoved out from behind a rock, Piper, glaring behind her at whoever it might have been that had pushed her, before her gaze landed on him, "Rummy," she breathed, "If you would be so kind," she held up her bound hands, seeming completely at ease even with her apparent kidnapping.

He glared at the rope wrapped around her hands, snapping his fingers and fraying them till they fell off.

"Many thanks," Piper rubbed her wrists as they were freed.

"Ooh why Rumple, have you gone soft?" a voice echoed above them as a series of birds flew at them, swirling near the ground and forming into Maleficent, the woman grinning at them with her magical staff clenched firmly in her hand, "That was quite _kind_ of you," she taunted.

"Maleficent," Rumpelstiltskin sneered, "Oh, I am impressed. Didn't think you had it in you."

"I'm not here for your praise," Maleficent shook her head, pointing her staff at Piper before she could move to Rumpelstiltskin's side, a threatening move though Piper merely seemed to raise an eyebrow at it. She would give it to the Dark One, this new maid of his was quite the brave little girl, brave or stupid, she wasn't sure yet, to stand there looking more bored than frightened, she had to be stupid, "Give me the gauntlet and you can have your wench back."

Rumpelstiltskin chuckled at that, "Seeing as how you asked so nicely…" he reached out with his free hand, curling it into a fist that sent Maleficent flying into the air, dangling there by her neck as he choked her with his magic, causing her to drop her staff, "You think you can steal from the Dark One and _live_?" he scoffed, his voice deep and dark, the power radiating off him as he tried to strangle her with his magic, "Fatal mistake, dearie! Any last words?"

Maleficent gasped, struggling to breath, struggling to get just three words out between her whimpers, "I'm…not…alone…"

A sharp inhale of breath from Piper was all he needed to look over, seeing that tentacles had shot out from the shadows of a set of stones, a black woman with light hair stepping out from the darkness, a smirk on her face as she made her way closer to Piper, her tentacles wrapping around the girl's waist and upper shoulders, Piper's hands coming up to grab at the tentacle.

He nearly frowned at that, at seeing a half-smirk on her face, but instead focused on the woman holding her captive, "The sea witch."

"Such a pretty thing," Ursula laughed, moving right beside Piper and looking her up and down, "Seems a shame I'll have to crack her pipes," she moved her upper tentacle to Piper's neck.

"Harm one hair on her head…" Rumpelstiltskin threatened, "Maleficent burns."

"And Ursula will kill your maid," a third voice, the voice he had been wondering where they were hiding, spoke, "And where will that leave us?"

He looked over to see a woman with far too much make up and black-and-white hair step out from behind a large rock, likely the same one that had shoved Piper out to begin with, "Cruella! Thought I caught a whiff of desperation and gin. I must say," he eyed the women, "I'm surprised to see you all here. Last time we crossed, it looked like things weren't going your way," he gaze flicked to Piper, the woman still unnaturally calm despite having tentacles wrapped around her. He could see an odd sparkle in her eyes, he would almost say she was planning something, but he wasn't willing to find out, was even less willing to see how far the three women would take this when it came to her life being on the line which it very much was, "And unless you hand back my maid," he went along with their belief that that was all she was to him, "They won't be this time, either."

"Shall I get you a stepstool so you can look in my eyes when you threaten me?" Cruella glared at him.

"I don't need to threaten you, dearie," he sneered, "It took _three_ of you to get this far, and I promise it _isn't_ far enough."

"Have it your way," Cruella shrugged, "Ursula, darling, crush the maid's heart."

Rumpelstiltskin's grip on the gauntlet tightened, as did Ursula's hold on Piper, the half-siren really seeming to be struggling to breathe now as Ursula's tentacles squeezed and squeezed her body…

He let out a frustrated groan and threw the gauntlet at Maleficent's feet, dropping the woman from his hold at the same time, letting her fall unceremoniously to the ground with an 'oomph.'

"Now release her," Rumpelstiltskin glared at them.

Maleficent gave Ursula a nod, the sea witch loosening her tentacled grip on Piper.

Piper winced, a hand coming to her neck as she turned to look at the three women, "Many thanks," she stated…

Before reaching out quickly, and shoving her hand right into Urusla's chest, ripping her heart out with a grin so dark it would have done the Dark One proud.

And indeed it did for Rumpelstiltskin giggled most delightedly when he saw Ursula dropping to her knees from Piper squeezing the heart.

"Let her go!" Maleficent shouted, echoing Rumpelstiltskin's words.

"Hmm…" Piper hummed as though considering it, "No," she gave Maleficent a mocking apologetic smile before turning, "A gift," and tossing the heart to Rumpelstiltskin himself.

The man held it up before him, squeezing it harder, not enough to crush it, but enough for Ursula to cry out in agony at the pain rippling through her.

"This," he looked at the three women, "Is gonna be fun," he brought the heart to his mouth, whispering instructions to it and Piper quickly stepped back to avoid the tentacles that shot out of Ursula's waist, grabbing Cruella and Maleficent in as tight a hold as they had had on her.

She smirked, watching it all happen, backing up a few steps till she was right beside the Dark One, "I suppose you did not see this coming?" she mused, eyeing the women, clearly enjoying what she was seeing.

"How did…" Maleficent began, but Ursula's tentacle squeezed her into silence.

"You really think I wouldn't teach her a few little tricks for just such an occasion?" Rumpelstiltskin mocked, "In case you didn't realize dearie, she's not just my maid, she's my business partner."

"The Pied Piper," Piper smirked, seeing their eyes widen, nearly laughing at how they hadn't even bothered to learn more about her, "At your service," she gave a mocking bow.

"Now," Rumpelstiltskin looked over at Maleficent, "I find it interesting that you three would risk my wrath just to gain possession of a little gauntlet…" he turned to Ursula, holding up her heart, "So tell me, what caused you to take full leave of your minds?"

Ursula grunted, fighting not to tell him, not wanting him to know how desperate they had been, "Oh, the risk was worth it," she admitted, "For too long we've lived in a world where the heroes always win."

"And the gauntlet will reveal our enemies' weaknesses," Cruella added, not seeing the point in keeping that hidden any longer, Ursula would have just blurted it out anyway, she winced as the tentacles tightened around her, "And we will be the victors."

Rumpelstiltskin snorted at that, "And you thought the best way to get that from me," he nodded at the gauntlet still in Maleficent's hand, "Was to seize my partner from under me and hold her hostage? See if I would pay the ransom?" he tsked, "There may yet come a day when the students surpass the master. But today is not that day, and demanding a ransom of ME?" he shook his head, "Well, that is most certainly a…" he hummed, considering the word and looked at Piper, "Pip?"

"Death wish," she supplied, "Oh do so hope it is a death wish."

He grinned at that, the three women exchanging looks while his attention was on her, all three realizing that they had likely selected the absolute worst person to try and barter the gauntlet for. Not only was she the Pied Piper, but his partner…and just as dark and twisted as Rumpelstiltskin was. She had proved that in ripping out a heart without flinching.

"Yes," Rumpelstiltskin nodded, turning his attention back to the three women, "A death wish, and a fool's errand" he held out his hand, grinning, "I want my gauntlet."

"You could just…" Maleficent winced, the tentacle digging into her side, "Take it from me!"

It wasn't like she could magically transport herself away, not with Ursula's tentacles holding her down, nor would Ursula be able to let them go while the Dark One controlled her. So whey didn't he just take the gauntlet? He controlled the sea witch, she had more than just two tentacles…

"Oh I could," he nodded, "But I want you to give it to me," his hand curled around Ursula's heart once more, "I want you to trade me the gauntlet, for her life," he nodded at the woman on her knees, growing weaker by the moment yet her hold on the two women tightened, "I want you to relinquish it. To know you failed. To know YOU had to give up. It's so much more satisfying to be given something another values above all else than to take it."

Maleficent glared at him, but winced as Ursula let out another agonized wail. She tried to close her eyes to it, tried to deafen herself to the sounds, to the cries of pain from the woman…but it was getting to be too much for her and…perhaps she was a little softer now, more emotional, than she should have been for before she realized it she had shouted out, "Fine! Here!" and tossed the gauntlet at the Dark One's feet.

"Pip, if you would be so kind?" Rumpelstiltskin echoed her words, Piper moving forward to pick up the gauntlet, "Well then," he eyed the women, lowering his hand and releasing his tight grip on Ursula's heart, "It seems we're done here."

He threw the heart to the sea witch, Ursula scrambling forward to catch it so it wouldn't fall on the ground, her own hold on the two other women loosening as well, dropping them to their knees, gasping and wincing at the pain of it all.

"Whatever you're up to," Cruella panted, seeing Rumpelstiltskin take the gauntlet from Piper, "It'll never work. The game is rigged. The villains never win."

"Why don't you join us?" Maleficent gasped, pushing herself to her feet once more though she was leaning heavily on her staff, "Perhaps we can change the game together."

"You severely underestimate me, dearie," Rumpelstiltskin shook his head at them, "I already have a partner," he gestured at Piper who gave a mocking wave to them, "I don't have need for any others. Especially none as incompetent and weak as you three…Queens of Darkness," he taunted the name they had given themselves.

Piper nodded, "The Dark One always wins. Which, I suppose means…" she thought on that, smirking at them, "That you shall always lose."

The three women glared at her for that but disappeared moments later in a swirl of black smoke, leaving Rumpelstiltskin and Piper alone on the bluff.

"Well," Piper sighed, "That was rather anticlimactic of a kidnapping. I have had better events of capture in the past."

She had managed to work it out, how they'd gotten her without her hearing. Ursula, being of the sea, her song was more muted to her ears, she hadn't heard the tune till it was too late. They shouldn't have been able to get her in the first place, the Dark One did have some measure of protection set up around his castle, but the women were magical. The puppy had been a distraction, no doubt they'd hoped she would fawn over it and follow it but she was not that moved by puppy's as to do such a thing. So when she'd thrown the stick, past the small magical protection wards around the castle, it had carried just enough of a trace of herself, of her own immunity to the wards for them to use to get closer to her, close enough to grab her.

She had been hoping, if she was ever captured from under the Dark One's nose, that it would have been a bit more dramatic than being yanked into the woods and transported.

She looked over at Rumpelstiltskin, frowning when she saw a more…thoughtful, yet tense expression on his face, "Rummy?"

"You had your song," Rumpelstiltskin turned to her, "Your mouth wasn't gagged. You had full use of your voice, you could have had them all driven to their knees, dead before I even set foot here," he eyed her, "Why didn't you fight back Pip?"

She smirked, "I thought you would rather enjoy defeating them more," she stepped closer, a finger trailing down the line of his vest, "You do get so cross when others touch your treasures," she looked up at him through her eyelashes, "It was only right that I allow you the chance to seek reparations for the theft."

"You are not an object, Pip," he shook his head, for all that he called her a treasure, it was more her value to him than that he thought her some sort of possession to be hidden away in his vault, "I do not want you in danger."

"Ooh but you are quite… _heroic_ , when I am," she grinned at him, teasing him with that word, stepping even closer to him, resting her hand on his heart as she spoke, "I do so love seeing you like that Rummy, my black knight," she murmured, "So dark, and dangerous, so powerful, in your element, wielding your magic to your will," she leaned in, "Defending me, wanting to protect me…" her lips brushed over his, "It is very appealing to see you radiating and reveling in your darkness, Dark One."

His breath came short at her words, at how she drew nearer and nearer to him, and he couldn't hold back any longer but to lean in and press a bruising kiss to her lips.

She had tricked him, he realized, though it wasn't quite a trick per say but more a twist in a plot already devised to anger him, a twist to give him more freedom. She had known, the moment she was taken, that even if she was returned or found her way back to him, he would still seek vengeance against the Queens of Darkness…and she had wanted to witness it. She had let him come to them, get them all in one place, so he could deal with them at once. She had wanted to see him, watch him use his magic, use his darkness, in her defense. He supposed he understood, he very much enjoyed when she would use her magic to torture others that would attempt to harm him. Even if she knew he couldn't be harmed by anything save his dagger, it was the sentiment, it was watching the instinct to protect play out that was so…appealing.

He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her at the high that came with using his magic as he had, with knowing that doing so had affected her as well, and, with his last coherent thought, a swirl of red smoke rose around them, taking them back to his castle.

And if the clean clothes remained outside for another few hours…well, it wasn't 'the maid's' fault this time.

A/N: I sort of see this moment with the Queens being just shortly before they confront Snow and Charming, like they went to the Dark One, another 'villain' first before having to go to their last resort of dealing with heroes. So, in the timeline of the story, Piper has already been with the Dark One for a while and they've already established a relationship, so I felt that this flashback would work even if it was Belle in the show ;) Though I couldn't quite see Piper just standing there begging for help but sort of taking time to plot and think. She's been captured before, so she's had some experience with what her captors might do or how they might react so she had a little bit of an edge over Belle in that sense ;)

Lol, I just realized that, after the last chapter, chapter 22, the story has 222 reviews :) I found that amusing :)

Some notes on reviews...

I can say that we'll see a moment of Piper holding Neal...how others might react to that moment in the story well...not saying }:)

Snow was definitely shortsighted there. I think a part of her conflict comes with really struggling to fully accept that the version of her cousin that she has now is more Siren than she has ever been growing up. She's gotten better at accepting it, but there are moments where she doesn't think or realize how Piper will take something because she's thinking more 'Rose Red' than 'the Piper' and it will come back to bite her later ;)

Lol, I sort of see the Author doing something like that as all of it's happening, just watching from where he's trapped and commenting to himself about the events even though he can't write them down any longer :)

She could be pregnant...or she could not be }:) We'll definitely find out before the story's over ;)

I think Snow will want to believe that Piper won't turn that much against them, but she'll be dealt a hard reminder of exactly what Sirens need to do to heal from betrayals :( It makes somewhat sense for a hero, though I think Henry brings up a good point in that Gold had all the power to do what he wanted before but chose not to, so it really didn't make much sense to banish him in that case. Though I can say Piper isn't quite overreacting about Emma's darkness being removed, what Snow did with Emma and Lily actually DOES have to do with Piper so her being upset about it will be very much justified later ;) She has a guess and a suspicion why Snow did what she did, but it'll be up to Snow to reveal if Piper's guess is right or not, but with how well she knows her cousin...Piper might just be spot on :( Piper definitely lacks regret from her Siren-half, to her she only regrets what she does if her family is hurt and no one else. Regina's come far in regretting that her actions hurt other people and apologizing for them, but Piper won't ever reach that point unless she suddenly becomes fully human. I think Emma's potential is sort of like there's 0 darkness in her heart, so something that wants it to be dark would be drawn to it, would want to corrupt it. Emma has no darkness inside her, but others could push darkness towards her or push her to do dark deeds that would cause a darkness to form (or at least that's what I'm getting from how freaked out Snow was by some things Emma did, like if the darkness was gone completely she shouldn't have even been worried Emma could go dark later). So it could just be that the darkness is drawn to her in a 'here is a pure heart to corrupt' sort of way, I think, lol :) I'm on the fence about what Hook was, we see so little of him in flashbacks from his 300 years as a pirate that it's hard to know if he was a vigilante type or true villain though he had to have done some pretty bad things to have considered himself to be one and for every other person to think him to be one too I think. I feel like, from some of his innuendo that he said to Emma in Season 2, it _could_ be implied that he did rape at some point in his 300 years though :( As a pirate, I feel like pillaging would likely be covered under that title too. I sort of wish they would do a flashback episode, maybe in Season 5 with how Emma is now 'dark' to show Hook at his absolute worst/darkest, like maybe if Emma tries to tempt him to be dark again we get to see him when he really was the darkest he could be for a reference or something :)

I Piper not mentioning what happened in New York to snow has a little to do with the fact that, if Gold died but came back or if she was the one suffering it, it would be admitting to her 'enemies' that Gold is now weaker or that she is weaker having suffered that, it's revealing that they're not as strong at the moment and something she doesn't doubt Charming, at least, will use against them later. Like a 'now's the time to attack!' thing :( If she said that Gold was dead, trying to keep it secret that he was actually alive, being half-siren, Snow might be suspicious why she seems relatively healthy and strong if her true love did die, so Piper's definitely keeping certain things very close to her chest when it comes to Snow ;) But that's awesome! My dad actually wants to see the Minion movie and he's not big on many movies in general lol, we're trying to find a day where everyone's off to see it as a family :)

I think Hook is sort of doing what Snowing is, but on a more selfish level. Like Snowing want Emma to think that what Snow did was for the greater good and not blame them, Hook is sort of trying to get her to think of Piper as a villain to almost make himself look better, like ' _I_ didn't do all those things' even though he probably did some bad stuff in his past she doesn't know about. They'll definitely be getting a harder wake up call about consequences of their actions yup ;) Lol, I could actually see David wanting to believe they wouldn't lie to Henry, but everyone sort of knows that they'd give him the biased version of events, how Piper and Gold were plotting to do something very terrible, something that put the town in true danger, that they had to be stopped and the only way was blah blah blah :( I'm blanking at the moment, but I feel like they did something similar when Snow, in the show, got Regina to murder her own mother. Henry barely seemed to react or think badly of Snow after that episode that he found out about it. They gave him such a watered down version to not make Snow look bad :( Piper will definitely be asking Snow and David about their complete lack of concern about Neal going dark in the future yup, their answer might cause some tension for a few people }:)

I'm so glad that you're enjoying Piper! And I'm very touched to hear that she inspires you a little, that means so much to me :') I'm very much looking forward to their bonding with Piper too ;)


	24. Unforgiven

Unforgiven

Emma strolled down the streets of Storybrooke, her hands in her pockets as it was still a bit chilly, Hook walking beside her as they headed for Granny's Diner, about to meet her parents for lunch. She slowed, however, when they reached the entrance to the path that led to the establishment, seeing Cruella and Ursula walking towards them from the diner. Ursula looked up, catching eyes with Hook and gave him a cold greeting as she passed, "Hook."

Emma frowned, seeing Hook tense at the single word, refusing to look back as Ursula and Cruella walked down the street towards the de Vil car, "You know her?"

She should have guessed that, sea witch, sea captain, but she would have thought he'd mention that to her last night when she'd told him about the two new residents in town. But he'd said nothing at all.

"Aye, love," Hook sighed, "I encountered many a vile creature on my voyages."

She opened her mouth to ask what sort of encounter he'd had with the woman when she heard her father calling out to her, "Emma!" before he too rushed out of the diner and towards her, "I'm glad you're here. We have to go."

"What?" she blinked, "Now? We just came to meet you for lunch. I've been dying for a grilled cheese all day…"

David shook his head, cutting in, "It'll have to wait. You're aware we have two new friends in town. They're up to something. If we hurry, we can pick up the trail."

Emma gave him an odd look for that, it had barely been 12 hours and she highly doubted that the two were 'up to something' already, and even if they were, how would the man know? But she sighed, giving him the benefit of the doubt, "Looks like duty calls," she mumbled to Hook before she turned and walked towards the sheriff's car David had driven to the diner, getting in the passenger's seat as David practically ran to the driver's side, sliding into the seat and nearly speeding off down the street after Cruella's fading trail, not stopping or slowing till the car was in sight once more…and pulling up right outside Gold's shop.

~8~

Piper looked up as she stood in the middle of Gold's shop, her hand rubbing her chest as she concentrated on taking deep breaths, her other hand resting on the counter for balance. She straightened, her face, which had been scrunched in pain, flattening to a blank mask when she heard the bells above the door ring. She turned to see Ursula and Cruella stepping into the shop, just as planned.

She and Gold had discussed the best way to continue their plans, their new plans that had been adapted now that she knew the tale behind Maleficent and Snow White was in fact truth. She had had a fair hand in hammering out the smaller details.

She knew her cousin's mind better than anyone. For as SHE had changed in the years of separation from Snow White, Snow had truly not changed at all. She could still guess what went on in the woman's mind. She could predict what Snow would do, what she'd think, how she'd react. She knew exactly what her cousin would do with the right triggers and threats and open ended guesses to work with.

Which was why she was there, waiting for the two women to pick up the first step in this part of their mission. She had come to the shop early, too early for others to be around and see her. She doubted, actually, that Mary Margaret or David had told Emma or Henry that she was back in town. If she knew the secret they'd been keeping from Emma, there was no way they would tell Emma she was there. Because Emma would, undoubtedly seek her out, and who knew what might slip out of her mouth about why she was back and why she was working with the Queens of Darkness instead of reconciling with her dear cousin.

She would reach out to Emma eventually, she promised herself that. She wanted to see though just how much Mary Margaret would tell Emma first, if she would tell her anything at all.

"Did you find it?" Ursula got right to point.

Piper took a deep breath, fighting to keep from making a remark to the sea witch, but knowing that she had to play nice…for now. She wasn't in a good state at the moment to spark a battle with the woman, and Ursula's tentacles would harm her more at the moment, her body being weaker than it should be due to Mary Margaret's actions. It would not do well at all to have Ursula or anyone else attack her at that moment.

She reached out and picked up a small box off the counter, turning and holding it in her hands, "You mean this?" she held it up, wiggling it a bit so the object inside clanked.

"Well give it here darling," Cruella stepped forward, holding out a hand to her, "Best get on with our business, before the heroes get too suspicious," she laughed at that last part.

Their entire plan rested entirely on the Charming couple being suspicious of the two Queens before her.

"Then get yourself gone," Piper handed it over, "And be quick about it. The sooner Maleficent is restored, the closer you are to your happy endings."

She stood tall, watching as the two women nodded at each other and turned to leave, staying tall…till they were out of the door, before she let out the breath she'd been holding, nearly sagging back against the counter, her hand coming up to her chest, rubbing it more firmly than before.

She was quite certain that her anger at Mary Margaret, the desire to see them shaken, to let them know exactly what they'd done to her, had been the only reason she'd been able to confront them last night without collapsing. Being back in Storybrooke…it wasn't good, for her or Gold, but it had to be done, this was the only place they would be able to find what they needed.

She looked over at the window, hearing an engine rev and pushed her way towards it, peering out through the blinds to see Cruella drive off with Ursula…and David following close behind in the sheriff's car.

She smirked at that, perfect, and pulled out her cellphone, quickly sending a text to Gold to let him know step one had been successful, waiting a moment longer, waiting to make sure David was truly gone before she stepped out of the shop and made her way across the street to the not-yet-open library, intent to join Gold down below.

~8~

Gold stood at the edge of the cavern at the base of the library's elevator shaft, looking out at the darkness that Maleficent had been held in for 28 years. He pulled out his phone, seeing a text from Piper that had a smirk appearing across his face. He stepped out, looking at the ground, seeing the palest of grey flecks scattered along, mixed in with the dirt.

Well, that wouldn't do.

"Won't be long now, Maleficent, my dear," he grinned, holding out his hand, waving it gently before him, causing a breeze of air to ripple along the dirt, sifting out the grey specks and gathering them right at his feet in a neat little pile.

A pile that would be so neat and conveniently placed the heroes would likely not even consider something was amiss about it.

The fools.

He crouched down, taking a handful of the ashes in his hand, letting it fall through his fingers, "Your slumber is nearly over."

"And ours should just begin," Piper's voice spoke from behind him, the elevator moving silently down due to his magic, "I am exhausted Rummy and we shall have quite a while to wait before Snow White decides on her next course of action."

He stood, brushing off his hands and turned to face her, "We can't leave just yet Pip."

"Oh?" she tilted her head, glancing at the pile of ashes and back to him, "Our part is now done, is it not?"

"For THIS mission, yes," he agreed, "But there is another matter to settle, one that I refuse to leave this spot till we have dealt with."

Her lips pursed at that, already knowing what he was getting at, "I will not," she told him, sounding more like she was repeating something she'd said far too many times.

"You have to Pip."

"No," she shook her head, her eyes narrowing, "You gave me your heart, you cannot have it back."

"It's killing you Piper," he argued, before scoffing, holding his arms out, "It's killing the both of us now that we're here in Storybrooke once more."

And it was, now that they were in a magical area, the magic of the hearts they'd swapped was working as it should. More than it should. What was happening to his heart was too powerful to not affect her as well and his heart was in her chest, even so it was still connected to him, to his magic, to his lifeforce…and his heart was failing.

All because of Snow White.

But that was another matter he would seek personal revenge against the woman for.

Right now, right now he needed to get Piper to give his heart back, so he might return hers as well. The heart inside her was affecting her, she had spent so many years with it inside her, it was failing to sustain her just as much as it was physically affecting him. They were both feeling the effects of the strain on it, and it would make the process that was wearing at it happen that much faster if it was working to affect two people instead of just the one person it was meant for.

"Rummy…" Piper shook her head slowly.

He stepped forward, taking her hand, "Piper, we HAVE to do this," he reached up, touching her face with his other hand, "If you keep my heart in your chest, all that's going to happen is it fails quicker, and it takes us both down with it," it likely wouldn't kill her in the end, not now, but it would affect her, "It will weaken us both, it already is," he squeezed her hand, recalling how tightly she'd gripped him last night, how pale she had been, how she stumbled and swayed more than she ever had just that morning alone, "We cannot afford the two of us to be weakened, our enemies WILL use it against us."

Piper took a sharp breath at that, it had been one reason she had not breathed a word of it to the Charming couple last night. The last thing she wanted was for Snow White or her prince to see a weakness to exploit and she did not doubt that Charming would leap at the chance to do so.

"If we do this," she began, "YOU will weaken."

"I know," he nodded slowly, understanding that she was trying to protect him, that she was fully aware of how much he loathed to be weak, "And I will bear that, if it means you are safe," he leaned in, pressing a kiss to her lips before resting his forehead to hers, "It is not just us Pip," he murmured, "We are not in this alone. We cannot afford anyone to see us both weakened. If one of us must be, let it be me."

"I am not exactly at my strongest right now," she argued weakly.

He smiled at that, pulling away, "You will be," he promised her, lifting his hand holding hers to her chest, pressing her hand just over her heart, "Please."

Piper looked into his eyes, not wanting to do this, not wanting to force him to endure the weakness he had always tried to fight against…but he was right. Leaving his heart in her chest would only cause them both to be affected. This way…this way she could at least protect him still.

She sighed, nodding slightly and pushed her hand into her chest, pulling out his small, blackened heart. She took a deep breath as she saw it for the first time in many weeks, it was darker than she remembered it. She swallowed hard, watching as he pulled out her heart and handed it to her. She quickly pushed it back into her chest, closing her eyes as she felt her emotions return so much more powerfully, she gave herself only a moment to adapt to the sensation of having her heart in her chest after 30 years without it. She opened her eyes and looked up at Gold, tugging his heart back when he reached for it.

"Let me?"

He nodded, lowering his hand and waiting.

She reached up, placing one hand just beside his heart, on the center of his chest, holding the other up right before the spot it belonged in. She glanced up at him, "It is…ironic," she murmured.

"What is?"

"For so many years, it was you who were stronger, you who protected me," she looked back down at his heart, "Now it is my turn."

It was a vow as well as a mere observation, one she swore on everything still important in her life that she would see through to the end as she pushed his heart back into his chest, and sunk down to her knees with him as he crumbled from the pain…

~8~

Mary Margaret and David were deadly silent as they walked through the mines under the town searching for the cavern under the library where Maleficent had been slain. They had been careful not to go through the library entrance, it would cause too many questions so it had been through the mines they'd had to go. They felt terrible for lying to Emma about what they were doing, telling her they were going on a hike, but it had to be done. David and Emma had followed the two Queens of Darkness from Gold's, searched their car for anything they might have stolen from the abandoned shop, and found a small bauble of Maleficent's, like a bird's talon holding onto a small dark crystal ball. It had been one of the woman's most prized possessions, enormously important to her...and it was then they realized that Ursula and Cruella were planning to enact a resurrection spell and bring Maleficent back. They had been so afraid the two women would come for the bauble or find another possession to use instead and that left one option...find Maleficent's ashes and take them and...and dump them in the harbor or something, anything to ensure that the two women couldn't bring the dragon back.

"David!" Snow gasped, pointing with her flashlight to a small pile of gray ashes lying in the middle of the cavern, "There it is!"

"Maleficent's ashes," he nodded as they hurried over to it.

"We did it," she breathed a sigh of relief, "We stopped them!"

She had only just started to smile when another voice spoke behind them.

"Not exactly," Ursula smirked at them, before lashing out her tentacles and sending them flying back, knocking them out, sprawled on the ground.

"Well done," Piper murmured as she and Gold stepped out from the shadows to look down at the fallen prince and princess. She knew she should care, she should have turned on Ursula, attacked her for daring to harm her cousin…

But she found she genuinely didn't care.

What an odd sensation to feel against one's own family…

"I trust they don't suspect our hand in all this?" Gold mused, eyeing the duo.

"They had no reason to," Ursula shrugged.

"They didn't see you speaking to Pip in the shop?" he started to smirk imagining the shock on their faces.

"Not at all darling," Cruella smirked.

"Then shall we begin?" he pulled a small compact knife from his pocket, handing it to Cruella after opening it, winding his arm around Piper's waist to watch though she knew it was more for extra support. He did rather enjoy having her within reach than his cane at times.

"With pleasure," Cruella took the knife and strode forward, slashing at Mary Margaret's hand, causing the woman to gasp awake from the pain, before doing the same to David, stepping back before they could react.

"What the hell did you do?" Mary Margaret looked at her, wide eyed, not seeing Piper or Gold standing behind her.

"The dark magic we're using to raise Maleficent doesn't require some silly little trinket from Gold's shop," Cruella spat, taking delight in the moment they realized it was a trap, "No, that was just a ruse to get you down here."

"You couldn't have known we'd…"

" _I_ could," Piper's voice spoke behind them, making Mary Margaret tense and look over her shoulder, seeing Piper among the two Queens, apparently having been part of this plot, "You heroes are truly so easy to predict."

"You…you're helping them?" Mary Margaret gasped.

"Tell me truly, Snow White," Piper's eyes narrowed, "Have you EVER seen me as a Siren? Ever tried to understand that side of me?" she tsked mockingly, "You should know how we can be when we are dealt betrayal, especially by family!" Mary Margaret flinched at that, "What did you expect would happen when you banished my true love?" she nearly spat, Gold winding his arm around her more and squeezing her lightly to calm her, knowing that having her heart in her chest was making her more on edge about this.

"She was ever so helpful, darling," Cruella laughed, "And now, we have all we need to raise the dragon once more."

"Blood of those who wronged her most," Piper smirked.

Mary Margaret and David turned just in time to see Cruella flick the knife at the pile of ashes, the moment each of their blood hit it, the pile began to hiss, the wind in the room rushing past, surrounding the ashes and causing them to rise into the air, clumping together, starting to form bigger pieces.

"We're too late!" Mary Margaret gasped as she and David scrambled to their feet, clutching each other as they watched the pieces stick together and grow, turning red and black as a screaming growl ripped through the air, a form of a dragon appearing before them before it slammed down at the ground in a swirl of purple/black smoke…

And out from it stepped Maleficent, dressed in her black garb, her horned headpiece, and staff.

"It's good to be back," she grinned at the two Queens of Darkness, lifting an eyebrow when she saw Gold and Piper standing on the opposite side of the cavern.

"Whatever it is you think we did, you don't know the whole story!" Mary Margaret rushed towards Maleficent with David, pleading with her.

"I know enough," Maleficent spat, her smile gone.

"Patience, Mal," Cruella called, "We have a plan."

"You wanna hurt someone?" Mary Margaret baited, "Well, hurt me. Leave David alone."

"Look at you, Snow White," Piper mused darkly, "Rising to the defense of your true love. Ooh, I suppose that is only a noble thing to do when one is considered a hero."

Mary Margaret flinched at that.

But Maleficent chuckled, seeming pleased with how Piper was taunting her, "Now why would I hurt you? No," she shook her head, "That would be far too easy."

"Revenge is sweetest when it is ripe," Piper agreed. Mary Margaret frowned at Piper for that, "Oh do not look so surprised, Snow White, you, of all people, know what Sirens do in coping with betrayal."

Mary Margaret's eyes widened at that, looking between the two women, "You're going to tell everyone what we did…"

"Oh not everyone," Piper taunted, "I do have a select few in mind that deserve to know..."

"Rose don't…"

"PIPER," Piper hissed at her, Gold chuckling behind her as he tugged her closer, winding his other arm around her, swaying her gently to soothe her, knowing he should likely get the woman out of there fairly soon before she lost control.

"Let her tell who she wants," Maleficent shrugged, "I don't care about your secret. You can try to get her to keep it as long as you like. I only care about one thing…" she stepped closer to the Charming couple, "Your pain," she eyed Mary Margaret with an suspicious expression when the woman's gaze quickly turned to Piper, as though expecting her to do something, to…stop her…but Piper just leaned back into the Dark One's arms, smirking in return, "And that it be as long and terrible and unyielding as my own," she continued, drawing their attention back to herself, "The pain you caused."

"I forgot how much I missed her," Ursula remarked.

"It's going to be entertaining," Cruella agreed.

Almost as entertaining as watching two cousins duke it out too.

"I'm gonna revel in every torturous moment," Maleficent told them, "And you? You're gonna watch your world crumble. See you soon, dears."

And, with that, the Queens of Darkness disappeared in swirls of black smoke.

Mary Margaret spun to face her cousin, a pleading look in her eyes, but Piper merely gave a mocking wave before Gold had them disappearing in a swirl of red, making her realize she was well and truly alone in this, Piper was NOT going to protect her from the threats against her any longer.

"This is all our fault," Mary Margaret breathed, "If we hadn't been so determined to keep our secret. If we'd just asked for help…"

David nodded, "You're right. We can't keep lying," he looked at his wife, solemn, "We have to tell Emma everything."

~8~

Emma frowned as she sat in the sheriff's station, thinking about how off and weird today was, namely how off and weird her parents and even Hook had been. David had taken her on a car chase after Cruella, insisting that they search her car incase she stole anything from Gold's, because there was no one there to manage the shop, no one that wanted to, not even the fairies, and they HAD to have taken something from it. He'd pulled them over, forced them out of the car, and searched it…just to tell her that there was nothing there.

And that was a lie, she was sure of it.

She'd tried to say that they should go to the sheriff's station then, check on the security footage of Gold's shop, see if there was any evidence that they took something or what.

He'd brushed her off to check in on Mary Margaret and Neal. Which wasn't odd…but he'd been so gung-ho that there was something going on and that the two women HAD to have taken something that he just…gave up too easily. And when she'd asked if he was ok, he'd said yes.

And that was a lie.

Then Hook had tried to give her a grilled cheese from Granny's which was admittedly thoughtful, but had grown very tense when she'd asked him how he knew Ursula. He'd gotten defensive. Told her that she was one of many sea monsters he came across on his trips…and then added that he actually didn't recall much of their meeting.

Another lie.

She'd been so frustrated that she'd gone on a walk, deciding to go check on Neal and also tell David that her search of the shop's security HAD turned up something. Well, two somethings. Apparently, the night she and Hook had had their first official date he'd beaten Will Scarlet outside the library, the footage just barely able to pick it up in the periphery of the screen. She tried not to get angry about it, that he'd kept that from her, because that date fell within the time that he said the Dark One had cursed his hand to turn him into the pirate he'd been. She tried to file it away as just one of the things the hand made him do.

But then she'd fast forward to the footage of just that day and seen Ursula and Cruella walking out with a box in their hand, a small wooden box. So they HAD taken something. She wanted to tell David, as deputy, so they could really go investigate the two women, maybe bring them in for questioning…and came upon her parents putting rope and other supplies into the trunk of his car. She'd told them about the footage, about how they should go pick up the two women for questioning…

And David had completely brushed it off, telling her that she was jumping the gun, that they couldn't be sure they stole anything or that there as anything in the box or not. She'd been stunned, because two hours before that he'd been so hell bent on them being up to something that he'd made her miss lunch. Then her mother had said that they were going on a hike.

One more lie to add to the pile.

One more lie that made it so that three of the most important people to her had lied to her face.

She had never wanted her aunt there more than in that moment. Piper would never have let them get away with it. She would have called them out, demanded an answer, or, better yet, told her the truth, flat out, blunt as can be. But she would have told her what the others were hiding from her.

It just didn't make sense! Even if they WERE going hiking, did they actually expect it to be the right thing to do? They'd been raging that there was a crisis and something bad going on, and suddenly, two hours later, they were saying that it was just their prejudice and that they had to step back and give the two women an actual chance instead of treating them like villains just because that was how they knew them in the Enchanted Forest.

She had been SO tempted to ask them where that sentiment was with Piper and Gold.

She wouldn't have been able to regardless, neither of her parents had let her get a word in. Going on and on about how they saw the worst in the two women and that they couldn't begin to redeem themselves if everyone expected the worst in them, that they had to see the best.

And she had never been more angry at them going on about that, because Piper! Gold! Really WHERE was that sentiment when her mother was shoving her cousin's true love over the town line? Where was that thought that they needed to see the best in the villains?

She had been so angry that she'd been shaking, glaring at them, before she turned to storm away before she said something she would regret.

They'd called after her, sounding concerned but she was just too angry to listen to them or their excuses of how 'oh but Ursula and Cruella didn't do nearly as much evil as Rumpelstiltskin or the Pied Piper.' Or 'oh but there's a way to stop them!' Or even 'oh but they're not as powerful, not as much a threat.' She just did not want to hear their excuses and left before her anger could get the best of her.

But she was just…even now she was still fuming at them. Hook was lying, her parents were lying, they were becoming the biggest hypocrites she had ever met and she just didn't understand why no one was telling her the truth.

She really wished her aunt was there.

Because who else could she talk to? Every other person in the town was a hero, one that would go running back to her parents at the barest hint that she thought they weren't being real heroes. The fairies were on her parents' side and so righteous that she almost couldn't stomach them. August was a kid (and don't even get her started on how Regina had conned her into trying to jog August's memories and then went off on the boy). And Henry was working nonstop on Operation Mongoose, she didn't want to burden him and Regina well…she wasn't exactly calm or rational at the moment.

Her aunt would have listened, no matter what was going on, she would have found time to sit down and listen to her.

She looked up, cut out from her thoughts, when she heard the door to the station open and Hook enter, "Well, Swan, why did you summon me?"

"Because I know there's something about your past with Ursula you're not telling me," she began, getting right to the point, "And I don't like that."

"Well I'm sorry," he huffed, "But it's MY past. And I'll share it when I like."

"And see that's the problem," Emma pointed at him, "You ask me about my past, anything at all, and I'll tell you what you want to know. I ask you one simple thing, how do you know Ursula, and I get lie after lie. That you just encountered her in passing, that you had some sort of issue with her, that you can't even remember how you know her," she shook her head, "We all have a past Hook, and yeah, yours is a little farther reaching and darker than mine, but I want to know YOU. I don't…I don't want this front you keep putting on around me, I don't want this act. I don't want you to try pretending to be some man you think I'd want instead of who you are."

She had spent a lot of the last six weeks thinking about things Piper had said, reviewing everything she knew of Hook, thinking back to all their past interactions, considering the things he'd said and she'd realized…Piper had been right. So much of the things Hook had done had been for her, about her, with her in mind.

This last incident had really hit it home for her. She asked him about one past adventure, one that clearly hadn't ended well. And he brushed it off, clammed up, refused to talk. Refused to tell her what he'd done in his past that wasn't a 'heroic' thing. He wasn't telling her what he'd really been like, he wasn't telling her any of the bad and she knew there had to be a lot of it. She didn't want that, she didn't want some show.

She'd gotten enough of that from Walsh, now she was getting it from Hook.

It seemed like the only one that didn't put on a show was Neal, and that was mostly because he hadn't known she was the Savior or Snow White's daughter. And she could accept him not speaking of his father or childhood in completely truthful tones. She would have had him committed for saying his father was Rumpelstiltskin, but he WAS truthful. He did tell her things, he just substituted things at time. He would talk about how his father was addicted to power, to other things, let her think it was drugs and magic, she supposed, could be like that, especially dark magic. He told her about being a lonely child, about being abandoned, about his mother leaving him, and it was all true. He just never specified how or when, but it was true in spirit.

Hook was flat out lying to her, had been for a while if Piper was to be believed from the start. She didn't want the show, she wanted to know the real man, the pirate behind everything. And she hated that he didn't tell her anything that let her get to know HIM instead of the him he pretended to be when she was around.

She understood some of his actions when he came clean about Gold taking his heart and their date, but other parts she could almost hear Piper in her head pointing out the negatives. Hook had tried to blackmail the Dark One to get what he wanted. He'd lied to her because he thought she wouldn't like what he'd done. Not because he was ashamed, not because he was being forced, but he thought it would affect the image she had of him in her mind. There was just so much she was starting to realize about him, so much he kept from her, and if this was going to work out, this…relationship or whatever it was, she needed Hook to be honest with her.

And she needed to sit down with Henry and talk about why he didn't like Hook. Kids were perceptive, maybe he'd been able to tell when she hadn't that the man had been lying to her from the start. Whatever it was she'd resolved to talk to him first, she wanted Henry's blessing for whatever this might be.

If Snow White's cousin could love the Dark One, darkness and all, if her mother could find love for the Evil Queen, why couldn't she love Captain Hook?

But she needed him to start being open and honest with her.

She need to know the pirate in order to love him.

"If you want there to even be a possibility of an us," she gestured between them, "I need you to not lie to me. You want to wait to tell me, fine, but don't lie to me now about it. Just say you'll tell me soon, when you're ready to talk. That's all I need to hear."

"I'll tell you soon," Hook echoed, "When I'm ready to talk."

Emma pursed her lips at that, though she knew she shouldn't have been surprised he'd gone for that tactic and taken that out.

"Fine," she huffed, rubbing her head, "Look, I'm sorry for giving you an ultimatum, but I've had it up to here," she put her hand by her neck, "With people lying to me today. You, my parents…"

"Your parents?" Hook frowned.

"They said they were going on a hike," she turned and moved to sit on a small couch, Hook taking a rolling stool instead of sitting beside her, which she was grateful for.

"Were they?"

"I don't think so," Emma shook her head, "My superpower has been going crazy all day…" she rubbed her eyes, "I just want to know why."

"We didn't want you to get hurt," Mary Margaret's voice spoke from across the room, making Emma look up at her, "We did lie," she frowned at that, "And we're so sorry Emma, but we didn't want to risk you getting hurt…"

"What did you do?" Emma sat up, tense.

"We followed Cruella and Ursula," David admitted, "And they WERE up to something."

"They resurrected Maleficent," Mary Margaret said bluntly, though keeping out their own involvement in it.

Emma blinked at that, "The dragon that I slayed under the clock tower?"

"Dragon?" Hook glanced between the three of them, "I thought she was some sort of mummified beast."

"Well, whatever she was, she's back to her old self now," David sighed.

"And as long as she's in town, no one is safe," Mary Margaret agreed.

"I don't get it," Emma tried to work it out, "Why are these witches waging war against us?"

Mary Margaret and David looked at each other a moment, catching each other's gaze before David sighed.

"Because…" Mary Margaret began, before chickening out, "Because they're villains," she stated, "And we're heroes."

She could only hope Emma would forgive them for yet another lie.

~8~

Regina frowned as she stood in the rain, a wide umbrella above her, waiting for Mary Margaret as she got out of her car and walked over, "What's with all the cloak-and-dagger?" she called, curious about the mysterious summons she'd received to meet the woman at the edge of town, to make sure she came alone and that no one saw her.

"Maleficent's back," Mary Margaret got right to it.

Regina let out a huff of air, "I should've known fish sticks and pound puppy were here for more than a second chance."

"They wanna destroy our happy endings. _All_ of them."

"How do they hope to do that?"

"That's where you come in," Mary Margaret straightened, "We need to find out what they're planning. We need to get someone close to them, someone they believe to be a villain. We want you to go undercover with them and help us stop their plans."

Regina blinked at that, at the list of…not requests but demands that had just been issued to her. It was…a lot to ask of her, almost too much given all the effort she'd put into being a hero and changing for the better, to ask her to go back to that even for a cover? It had to be much worse than just another threat to their happy endings. There had been PLENTY of them, and she'd never seen the woman react like this or go this far in her demands.

"And you think they're just going to welcome me into their coven with open arms?" she inquired.

"Regina, you used to be one of them…"

"They think I'm a hero now," she cut in, "They'll never believe I want in."

"So find a way to make them believe!"

Regina frowned at that, seeing an almost desperation in Mary Margaret's eyes, "What makes you so sure they're dead set on destroying us?"

Mary Margaret was silent a moment, before speaking very quietly, "Because Rose has joined them," she told the woman, "Because Sirens…they take revenge when they've been betrayed. You remember that."

Regina's grip on her umbrella tightened at that, remembering Piper's revenge against her, how she had killed Cora in front of her eyes to exact it, "Yes."

Mary Margaret nodded, looking away, "I banished Gold over the townline…and Rose went with him, because of what I did. I betrayed my cousin," she winced, thinking about everything she and David had said to Emma that morning.

Even though most of it had been a lie, it had made her think about everything she'd said. They had claimed they wanted to see the best in the new villains, not treat them like villains, and that was exactly what she'd not done to Gold. She had treated him like a villain and not her cousin's true love, she hadn't thought about the Dagger Piper had had the entire time as Henry mentioned, she hadn't given a second chance to a person that had a stronger tie to her family than Regina did…and now her cousin, her half-siren cousin, she was left with only one course of action, revenge.

Against her.

"Well that's a revenge against you," Regina pointed out, "She would take that just on you, no one else. She wouldn't dare harm Henry or Emma, not Neal either and their happy endings would be included in the 'all,'" she frowned, "So why would you think that the others want to take revenge on all the other happy endings?"

Mary Margaret closed her eyes, knowing she shouldn't have hoped that Regina would take it as just Piper wanting the revenge, it seemed like one thing had still stuck with the town despite their now happiness that Piper had been 'banished' along with Gold for freeing the man from the Dagger…that she did love her family, more than anything, there was no one that doubted that any longer, "Because of something David and I did a long time ago. Regina, you once asked me to…" she cut off, her emotions getting the best of her as she tried not to cry, "Regina, you once asked me to keep a secret. And I couldn't. But I'm gonna ask you to keep one for me. One Emma can _never_ learn."

"What is it?" she tried to ask it gently.

Mary Margaret took a deep breath, "Emma was born with the potential for great darkness."

Regina raised an eyebrow at that, it sounded ridiculous, "She's the savior. A hero. Her magic's as light as it gets."

"Because David and I went to _extraordinary_ lengths to make sure it was."

"If you ensured her goodness, why can't you tell her?"

"The same reason you don't want Henry to hear about all the terrible things you did in your past," Mary Margaret explained, "You wanna protect him so he doesn't lose faith in the person you've become, the person he always believed you could be. That's why Emma can never find out what I'm about to tell you. She's finally starting to open up her heart. And if she learns the truth, if we let her down, she'll lose faith in us, and it could send her tumbling down a dark path…" her voice broke at that, more than just her thoughts and feelings on what she'd done to Emma hitting her, "Because when you betray the people you love, when you make them see the worst parts of you…what you've done changes everything. There's _no_ going back. You've shattered the bonds you worked _so hard_ to forge. And the stronger those bonds once were…" she shook her head, tears in her eyes, "The more difficult they are to put back together," she scoffed lightly, "If they can be repaired at all."

Regina eyed her a long moment, "Are we still talking about Emma?" she hesitated, "Or are we speaking about your cousin too?"

"Both," Mary Margaret sniffled, trying to keep it together, trying to be strong, even though the thought of just how badly she'd broken the bonds between herself and Piper killed her to admit, "What we did to Emma…what _I_ did to Emma…I did because of Rose. Because I saw what she was becoming, I saw what…what her darkness was doing to her. And I couldn't," her voice cracked entirely at that, the tears starting to fall, "I couldn't bear that for Emma too. And I knew…I knew there was a chance, a stronger chance than David thought, that Emma would take after Rose," she held up her palm, showing Regina the scar across it, "We became blood sisters when we were young, and I couldn't shake the feeling that, what hadn't affected me would affect my child. I had to watch as my cousin, my sweet, innocent cousin, grew darker every time I saw her. I saw the life she was forced to live, the turmoil it caused, the strife, the fear, the pain, the tears…" she shook her head, barely stifling a sob, "I didn't want that for Emma too. I thought…I thought we could save her from that fate, I thought we could save her from the darkness that had gotten Rose. I thought it would just keep Emma from becoming a villain. Maleficent got caught in the middle and she suffered greatly, because of us."

"I don't understand," Regina shook her head, "What exactly did you _do_ to Maleficent?"

Mary Margaret looked at Regina for a long while, before admitting, so quietly it almost couldn't be heard over the storm around them, "Because of us Maleficent lost her child."

~8~

In a cabin in the woods, Piper stood before a small desk, a small crystal ball the size of her palm in her hand, enchanted to show her whatever she wanted of Storybrooke, whoever she wished to observe. She watched, she listened, as Mary Margaret spoke to Regina of her plans to infiltrate the Queens of Darkness, the three women off somewhere else to catch Maleficent up while she and Gold remained in the cabin. She watched and listened her grip growing tighter and tighter on the glass as she heard Mary Margaret speak her reasons for doing what she had done to Emma.

She closed her eyes and slammed the crystal ball down onto the table hard enough to crack it, taking a deep breath to try and still her nerves. It shouldn't surprise her, it shouldn't still hurt, to hear what the woman had said, why the woman had feared for Emma so terribly as to do what she had done. It shouldn't surprise her, she'd already guessed why Snow White would have done such a thing. But it _did_ still hurt, to hear it come from Snow White's own mouth, because it was nothing more than confirmation of something she had feared for much of her life, it was an affirmation of doubts she'd had about her dear cousin, it was proof that Snow White had lied to her all those years.

Snow White hadn't wanted her daughter to become like HER.

So what did that mean for what Snow White truly thought of her all those years?

What did it mean for all those times Snow had promised that she loved her and accepted her, darkness and all, if she was so against her daughter having even a spark of darkness in her?

She felt Gold step up behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders and squeezing, trying to comfort her, "I'm sorry Pip."

But Piper just shook her head, her hand tightening on the glass ball, hunching a bit more as she cursed her human half for even now, even with her heart hardened against Snow White...it was still breaking in her chest at what Snow had just revealed.

~8~

Henry sat in the Mayor's office, looking over the storybook…or seeming to, really he was just staring blankly at a random page, the Swan Princess, lost in thought. His mother had been…harsh to Pinocchio earlier that day. He had told her that August had managed to add his story and a little of Piper's to the book a while ago, and she had thought that it meant he HAD to know more about the book, that he had to have some extra knowledge about it.

He honestly wasn't sure how much he believed that what August had done was all that remarkable. It was a book. HE could work out how to take apart the binding and stitch in new pages too. It wasn't that hard or extraordinary.

But his mother had been so hopeful that it meant something he hadn't had the heart to tell her his thoughts.

She'd gone and requested Gepetto bring Pinocchio there to look at the book, to see if he might be able to remember anything about it. He hadn't. So she'd called Emma there in an effort to get her to jog August's memory in the boy. That hadn't worked either and his mother had gotten really worked up. She'd started shouting at the boy, scaring him, insulting him…her voice had been cracking and he really wasn't sure why she'd gotten so angry or upset, it had been a longshot to start with and they all knew Pinocchio had no memory of being August, so why had she thought the book would change that?

Still, she'd gone to apologize to Gepetto for yelling at his son, all on her own, without him needing to remark on it, which was huge for his mom. She'd come back, even more upset though. Gepetto had mentioned to her that his son had had some belongings he'd brought with him from the land without magic, that maybe he had more information there that might help…but that all August's belongings he'd given to Piper, to help her cope with the loss of the son she had raised. He had his boy back, he had never needed to know August, he was getting to raise his son once more. But Piper had lost all of that, so he'd offered her his belongings to keep.

His mother had gone to Gold's house, the one he shared with Piper to see if she could find the possessions…but there was nothing. She'd found nothing, and she'd felt like she'd missed an opportunity for another clue and was blaming herself.

He didn't like that, and he knew August had other pages of the book, ones he hadn't added yet, scraps he'd said when he asked about it once. He just…needed to find it.

He turned the page, blinking as he saw a picture of a blonde woman leading a line of children out of a town and smiled.

He didn't know where the other pages were…but he might know someone that did.

A/N: Poor Piper :'( I wanted to establish early on why Mary Margaret was SO scared of the 'potential' darkness in Emma. It made no sense at all to me that Snowing would freak out _so much_ over the possibility that Emma could have maybe possibly grown up to be a villain decades down the road because, as a baby, they WOULD have the potential to be good or evil as good and evil are not _born_ they are _made_...and babies aren't anything yet. Snow had the potential as a baby, Charming had the potential, Glinda the Good, the Blue Fairy, Cora all had the potential. A baby hasn't lived or learned or had experiences yet, so why would they freak out so much that Emma might not be a hero one day? Why take it to such an extreme? I can understand if the Author created the means to deal with Emma's darkness, but I can't quite get behind that he made the choice for them, just offered them the option and watched. It didn't seem like they would doubt their parental abilities that much and they had no knowledge that their baby would be needed for the curse at that point, so I thought...maybe Show, knowing about the blood magic she and Piper used as children, would see _that_ as a reason to really fear that the child would actually have more of a chance at becoming dark, that they would have a preference towards the dark because of that little bit of Piper in her :(

And in that sense, Snow White had to see her cousin growing up and growing darker and darker and it _scared_ her. In the deepest parts of her mind and heart, it scared her to see her cousin becoming that from the sweet and mostly innocent little girl she grew up with, not just because it made Piper more siren-like, but because of how everyone else treated her, how that affected her cousin, the lengths she was willing to go for things, just an overall sense of seeing someone consumed by darkness day after day, year after year, and how much it both hurt and scared her cousin, how much stress and fear and tears it caused her, before she eventually just let it happen. She did _not_ want that for her daughter, she didn't want Emma to suffer what her cousin had.

And while Snow might see it as that, that she just wanted to avoid hurt for Emma later...all it's doing is hurting Piper in the now, as it's coming across like it's Piper's fault she did what she did, that if Piper had just been normal Snow White would never have feared for her daughter or gone as far as she did. Piper's taking it as Snow was THAT against the darkness, against what made Piper who she was, that she would go that far to ensure her daughter never ever came close to being like her cousin. And it hurts Piper that much more that her cousin seems to have hated what she was that much after years of saying she loved her and accepted her :'( And now that we see a few traits in Emma that belong to Piper, she could have possibly been a little right to fear it...and that hurts all the more, because it really means, to Piper, that Snow _did not_ want her daughter to be like HER, that she didn't want that darkness in even her cousin at all, that she could not accept it as completely as she claimed if she felt the need to destroy all chance of it in Emma :'(

I feel like it's a little different, how Piper tried to protect her family from darkness infecting their hearts, compared to Snow. For Piper, what she's doing affects only her, it darkens/hardens her own heart so that the same action won't harm her family. She's the one that takes the full brunt of doing something dark or evil. What Snow did involved babies and destroying possibilities, ripping out darkness, and affected the babies in question and didn't really affect Snow in her actions the way it's affected Piper in her own actions :( What Piper does to protect Snow or Emma affects herself, not them. What Snow did to 'protect' Emma affected Emma and another baby, not Snow :(

Also, was anyone a little curious why Emma didn't ask her parents how they knew that Cruella and Ursula brought Maleficent back in the show? Like she was JUST talking about how they said they were going on a hike and she doubted them...and then they come in talking about three women that were likely not ever going to be anywhere they'd be hiking or out in the open where anyone could see them...and yet Emma didn't question that? Or wonder where they'd hiked that they knew? Or asked why they lied about hiking? It seemed weird to me she'd be talking about them not lying to her and then be confronted with very real proof that they HAD lied to her (how else would they know about Maleficent) and didn't even blink or react. So I wanted to touch on it here. Emma spent the whole episode getting more and more suspicious and then just brushed it all off? It just didn't seem to fit even with her excuse of how her past was affecting her thoughts on people.

Some notes on reviews...

Yup :) I've seen the clips for OUAT, DW, and Sherlock :) I'm SO excited for them! ^-^

The timelines on OUAT are so confusing sometimes lol :) I really hope, when the show is over, they do an actual timeline of when certain flashbacks happened, similar to how they made a timeline to explain River Song in Doctor Who :) I can say the events of New York will have a rather big factor in Piper's revenge, Snow has no idea just how much happened in the city or the consequences of her actions }:) Gold would very much hold it against Snow if something happened to Piper because of the banishment. I can say there'll be an explanation coming of just why the timing for Snow throwing him over the line makes a lot of what happens after Snow's fault ;)

Emma and Henry will definitely show more and more loyalty to Piper and Gold, especially when some other truths come out }:) I hope Gold doesn't revert to his 'cowardly' self in Season 5, he's had 300 years of gaining knowledge so I hope the writers take that into consideration that he is still very cunning and crafty and intelligent and a threat even without his magic (not sure if he still has magic or not after the finale), and don't just make him this little weak thing. He has a shop full of magic objects, years of magical knowledge, and he knows psychologically how to break people down, he's not weak and I hope they don't make him so :) I'm glad you're enjoying Emma :) I wanted to sort of show how, if she had someone just a little more openly suspicious of Hook and pointing out some things about him, eventually she would start to be a little more careful and observant too :)

Lol, is it bad I'm sort of happy you're doubting Hook a little? :) I'm sort of on the fence about him, like I like him but I also don't really care too deeply about him, so it's fun to explore the two sides of that in stories. Here Hook's less than heroic actions are brought more to light and brought to the surface and he's looked at suspiciously, whereas in my other OUAT series, Hook's heroics are taken more at face value and as a genuine attempt lol :)

Piper does have a level of sympathy for animals, but it's more that she can control them easier and sway them faster, they're simple creatures that can be controlled to her. She's seen so many strange creatures wandering near the Dark One's castle she probably just thought the puppy was another one lol :) And thank you! I fixed them :) Snow will definitely not expect people to be angry because 'it was for the greater good! ...and I suffered too!' but some of what she did was rash and a little selfish and I can say Emma won't be as forgiving in this story, especially if she too learns exactly WHY her mother feared her darkness so much }:) I think it's not so much Charming would physically attack her, but he'd be the one pushing to use their weakness as an opportunity to find out what's going on, capture them, or stop them, like they have to do it NOW before they get stronger or recover. Emma and Henry will talk quite soon about Hook and Henry will reveal some things that put him on edge about the man that Emma should have guessed Hook would do but didn't quite think of, she'll be more aware of how Hook acts and why he does certain things from here on out ;) No more blind faith that he's changing because he wants to be the hero but more suspicion of 'is he changing for ME and my reaction again?' :) I'm actually kinda happy that a few people have related to Piper :) She's so different from other OCs I've done that I was afraid no one would really care for her because they couldn't really connect or relate to her, so I'm very relieved to know that people have felt that for her, she's a very strong and loyal character for the most part and in a world like the fairytales, someone has to be willing to do what needs to be done to actually get things done instead of talk about it and hope for the best lol :)


	25. Her Father's Daughter

Her Father's Daughter

Rose Red kept her head held high, kept her jaw clenched, more so to keep her lips from trembling than to make herself appear even more haughty than the people already saw her to be. She kept her chin up, so that she wouldn't have to look into the eyes of any of her people standing there in the center of the village that surrounded her castle, listening to her father as he stood before her on a small platform, giving an announcement about a cut in the taxes they were paying. It had been all her mother's idea, a way to help refine the treasury and expenses of the kingdom to allow for the people to be taxed a lesser amount than they were. The taxes in their kingdom weren't extreme, not at all, not like they were in other areas of other kingdoms, but the people were always happy to be told they didn't have to pay as much as they had been.

Her mother was wise like that. Having lived in the sea for so long, she was well aware of using what resources you had around you and to try and be more self-sustaining. Sirens weren't very widely accepted underwater as they were above either. Mermaids were the beloved of the sea, Sirens were seen as more their dark cousins or some such thing. So her mother's clan had had to learn to make do with what they had, using seaweed for clothing and netting for coverings, and more. It had taught her to be frugal but not overly so. She had come up with a way to create their own salting and preservation of meats, a way to create the salt they needed instead of paying the hefty sums to have it imported. It was simple really, use the sea. Take the salt water, leave bowls of it in the sun, and salt would be left behind. And it was good salt, it did the job effectively, and it was largely free.

Through just implementing that change it had saved the kingdom quite a bit, enough to give the people some relief in their taxes.

Her mother, however, had requested her father not mention it was her idea to do so. She had gone to the kitchens before she suggested they use the sea's salt, to see if it would still work, if it would be better or worse. The kitchen staff had been hesitant, in what was not quite an offensive way, to give her the meat even after she explained her purpose for wanting one sample. She had heard one of the younger kitchen helpers murmuring to the elder chefs their fears that the sea salt would be bespelled, or that it would be enchanted, or that it carried something of sirens in it…and that if they ate it they would all turn into sirens.

It was ridiculous to think, it was just salt. But it had been enough to remind her mother that the people, by large, would be hesitant or even outright suspicious to use the sea salt if they found out that the idea came from her instead of her husband or the kitchen staff. She had been gracious, far more gracious than Rose thought she should be, in that she had given credit to the kitchen staff instead. She had told her husband that it had been their murmurings that had sparked an idea in her mind to try the salt first. To his credit her father hadn't seemed to believe it at all, but he had gone along with it, not asking her mother why she was hiding that truth from him. He trusted his wife, and if she kept something small like that to herself, he was going to trust it was for a reason.

And now there they were, her father making his proclamation of how the kingdom would be starting to utilize the free salt of the sea for their meats and other preservations. It wouldn't just help with the meat, with preparing for the winter months and others to come, but it would also create more jobs around the village. They would need people to go out and collect the water, places to evaporate it, others to distribute it, filter it, ensure it was uncontaminated…so many other jobs and training that could be brought up to also benefit the community. And, if all went well, if they managed to procure enough of the salt, perhaps they could trade with other kingdoms that were more landlocked! Just this one simple change could benefit the kingdom, exceedingly so.

The people seemed thrilled about it, at the prospect of more money entering the kingdom and about the cut to their taxes.

Rose wanted to smile, she truly did, she wanted to be happy, to be joyous for her father and the reception to his news. She wanted to praise her mother for her idea and how it was going to help so many…

But she could hear the whispers.

There was a group of children, mixed of younger and those that were quite a bit older, nearing her age, to her side. The adults were more in the front of the crowd, directly in front of her father, but the children were nearer to her and she was not so close to her father that he deafened her to their whispering and remarks. She heard every word they uttered, every single word. They were looking at her, paying more attention to the reclusive princess, the one they hardly saw around, the one that barely spoke with anyone…the one that was so cold and hard that they feared for the future of the kingdom.

They actually feared what she would do to their precious village when she became Queen. It wasn't anything she hadn't heard before, but it was bothering her now. She'd heard it so many times, for so long, she was just…she was getting sick of it. She wanted it to stop affecting her, she wanted to not care what they said or thought, but she did. She heard the same whispers every time she was about, and all they served to do was make her want to go back to the castle and damn the villagers…but she couldn't, because she was their princess.

But then…what sort of Queen WOULD she make?

It was a question that was rising to her mind more and more as the whispers went on. Truly what sort of queen would she be? She was a firm negotiator, that was true, she held her ground but…perhaps too firmly. She would be more inclined to use her music to sway those trying to debate with her than bend to their will. It could cause problems. And the people? She could feel it creeping up on her the older she grew, a…lack of care for them. They clearly did not like her, they did not appreciate or respect her the way they would a beloved princess, like Snow, they…tolerated her.

And she returned the sentiment. She tolerated them solely because they were her father's people. She didn't even consider them HER people yet. How could she rule and rule well if she looked at the people as more an annoyance she had to put up with and keep happy instead of those she should wish and desire to protect and see flourish? They didn't trust her, they wouldn't trust her rulings, they would question her every single step of the way, far more than they did her father.

What of a king?

THAT was what they were whispering now. What of a prince or a lord or a noble out there that would be her husband one day. What sort of man would take HER to be his wife? What sort of man would do that? Would do it willingly? Would do it happily? That was the question that plagued her. To be a ruler meant to produce an heir to continue the legacy, to keep the bloodline going, to keep the kingdom safe for the next generation. The people already looked at her with a queer look in their eyes because she was only half-human. Her children, if her husband was human as well, would be more human than her, that would placate the people enough, the thought that their future rulers would grow more and more human with each generation.

But it still left the question of a king.

A KING.

Her people, whenever she heard them speak of it, always referred to her future potential husband as their future king. Not prince consort.

That wasn't how it worked!

She knew that, it was not how it worked. If a king and queen had only one child, a male heir to the throne would grow up to be king, yes. A female heir to the throne would grow up to be queen. But their spouses? The King, should he take a wife, his wife would become the Queen, there was no question. However the Queen, should she take a husband, he would ONLY be Prince Consort. He would never be king, he should never be king. It was the sole protection a woman of her status had that her position as the rightful monarch would not be usurped or stolen from her.

And her people seemed to wish it to happen, they would rather a king take over from a foreign land than see HER on the throne with power over them exclusively.

For that to even happen, there had to BE a man first. There had to be one that would be willing to marry her…and there were not many lining up to do so. She had received a proposal or two as she grew older, but none of them were for love, all were for politics. She didn't want that, she didn't want to be a pawn in someone else's rise to power, she didn't want to be a tool for an alliance, she wanted to have a love like her parents did, a genuine and trusting relationship, where she could trust her spouse with everything. Her father wanted that for her as well, he wanted her happy, and that meant he would never ever allow her to be forced into a marriage she didn't want.

Which meant there was little chance of a marriage ever happening. There was no man on earth, she was sure, that would wish to wed someone that was not even fully human. The men of the village certainly didn't seem to think it. She was cold, distant, harsh, a statue…as the people whispered about her. She was too…different, too cold for anyone to wish to be close to her if not for them seeking her crown. If that proved true then she would never marry, she would never have children…

What sort of life was there for her as Queen? To be constantly suspected by her people, constantly challenged, constantly fearing that there was some ulterior motive to the people around her that wanted to be closer to her. What life was there for her when there was such little chance of love? What queen would she be if her people treated her thus and she responded in kind?

She blinked as she looked over, feeling a touch on her arm to see her father had turned to step off the platform, the villagers applauding him and shouting 'Long live the king!' as he departed. He had stopped, seeing her expression, recognizing it from not his wife, but himself, as he'd gone to leave. And known something was wrong.

"Rose?"

She blinked again, "Father?"

She inwardly cursed herself for how her voice cracked.

Her father just smiled understandingly. He glanced over at her mother, giving her a small nod to go ahead, and turned back to her, "Walk with me in the gardens?"

She gave him a nod, taking the arm he offered as they turned to depart together.

~8~

The gardens were thankfully empty though Rose could have sworn she'd seen the gardeners scurrying away as her father appeared to wave at a fly, or so he claimed. Liar. She smiled a bit at that though, her father knew her well, he knew she wouldn't speak things that troubled her if there were people around that could hear her. It was an unfortunate affect of living in the castle, of living with what she was, she and her mother had both trained themselves to keep themselves quiet until they were sure no one was there that could overhear and use what they said against them.

Her father didn't speak a word as they walked on and she knew that he was waiting till she'd calmed down, relaxed a bit more, her arm through his, her being beside him, he could likely feel how tense she was. Her father hated to push her, to pry, he had always wanted her to know she could come to him with anything, but that he would not try to goad her into speaking to him if she didn't want to. She often came to him herself, she valued his opinion and thoughts on many things and she appreciated that he gave her time to come to her own terms with speaking of thoughts that plagued her.

He led her over to a small apple tree that was growing off to the side of the garden. It had been planted there about 5 years ago in honor of her uncle's new wife, Regina, who was fond of apples, it was growing quiet well and was providing quite delicious apples and ample shade. So they sat beneath it, just taking in the quiet and the sunlight, her father reaching out to take her hand, holding it in both of his before he looked away, waiting.

She was quite sure that an hour had to have passed before she actually spoke a word of what was bothering her, but her father said nothing against it, just turned his head to her to give her his attention, "Will I make a good Queen?"

Her father blinked at that, "No one can know if they will be good or bad at ruling a kingdom till they are in a position to do so," he remarked sagely, sounding almost as if he were reciting something spoken to him years ago.

Rose took a deep breath and looked at him, "Do YOU think I will be a good Queen?"

He looked at her a long while, knowing that she would want him to genuinely consider the question and not just spout a 'yes of course!' to placate her, but to truly answer with his whole heart what he thought, "I believe you will be a fine queen," he told her, his voice quiet, thoughtful, "I believe you have the potential to be one of the most just, considering, and wise queens the kingdom has seen in many ages."

"Why?" Rose breathed, her voice breaking as tears began to fill her eyes though she refused to let them fall.

"You are just," he began, squeezing her hand, shifting so he could face her more, "You are unbiased, you look at the letter of the law instead of those that are breaking or upholding it, you don't let yourself become swayed by pretty words and you have rather a keen ear for liars," he chuckled at that, but sobered quickly when she just looked at him, "You are considering, you think long and hard before you make a decision, your decisions are never made rashly nor from emotions when you can help them. You take time to consider the benefits, the consequences, you try to look at what would be best in a whole sense instead of just to benefit one. And you are wise," he reached out to brush a blond lock behind her ear, "You are wiser than I could ever hope to be, you see things for what they are, you see what others lack and you point them out, you see the weaknesses and strengths of those around you, and you use what you know, in a way most people who are tutored merely use what they've learned from books, you think outside of them. You use what you know as a basis, but use your experiences and those of others to help you decide on what to do. Rose," he squeezed her hands, "I truly believe you will be a better ruler than I could ever hope to be."

"I do not feel that way," Rose admitted, looking away, but not pulling her hand from her father's hold, "I feel…" she shook her head, lifting her hand to wipe at her cheek, not wanting another tear to spill after that first one, "I feel as though I shall fail, and in failing…fail you, fail your belief in me, fail everything you and mother have built," she looked back at him, "I sometimes…" she cut herself off, looking down, closing her eyes, knowing she would never be able to admit the darkest thoughts she'd had while looking into her father's concerned eyes, "I sometimes wonder if…if it would be better for the kingdom if I…" she swallowed hard, "If I were no longer…if the kingdom would, by default, be turned to Snow instead of myself…if I were no longer here to claim it."

"Rose…" her father shook his head.

"I am sorry," she flinched at the depth of the concern and empathy in his voice, the dam breaking within her to finally confess something that had been bubbling under the surface for the better part of a year, the tears starting to fall freely.

Her father shuffled closer, pulling her into his arms as he held her, gently rocking her back and forth as he hummed a soft lullaby in her ears, the same one that he and her mother used to sing to her to help lull her to sleep at night as a child, that she still sometimes heard them humming to help calm her.

"Rose…" he murmured against her ear, "The world would be a darker place without you living in it."

Rose tensed at that, at his words, at how he had mentioned the word 'living.' She hadn't said she was thinking about death. She hadn't used that word, hadn't implied she was considering that end. She had only said that if she hadn't been there to claim the throne, it could have meant she would run away, it could have meant she abdicated, it could have meant so many other things than death…

But her father had known that was EXACTLY what it meant.

"I'm sorry papa," she mumbled against him, her voice so small that it nearly broke his heart to hear.

"Oh my sweet girl," he kissed the side of her head, feeling tears in his eyes that his daughter felt that way. And he knew she truly had, he knew his daughter. She would not say such a thing for dramatics or attention, she would never say it unless she had truly and genuinely been thinking it for some time, if she had truly been contemplating a certain event...as he had so long ago, "You have nothing to apologize for."

"I…how can I be a good Queen if I feel that the kingdom would be better without me?" Rose asked him, so quietly that he almost missed it, "How can I be as strong a queen as the people need if I feel so weak?"

Her father was quiet for a minute or two before he sighed, readying himself to tell her something he had hoped never to share with anyone besides his brother and wife, "The same way I hope I am a good king, a strong king, when I felt the same way."

Rose blinked at that, pulling away from her father slightly to look at him, her face scrunched ever so slightly in confusion, "I do not understand…"

He gave her the same empathetic smile as before…and it was then she realized, empathy.

His smile was empathetic, not sympathetic.

Sympathy was when you felt sorrow for someone else, because they were hurting. Empathy was when you could understand their feelings for you had felt the exact same way.

"Father?"

His smile turned sad, "Rose…it is not about weakness or strength," he told her, reaching up to touch her cheek, wiping her lingering tears away with the pad of his thumb, "It is not about what the kingdom thinks of you, not even what you can or cannot do for it. It is about your heart, it is about what keeps it beating," he sighed, "I was once, long ago, feeling as you are now. I felt…burdened, put upon, with the responsibilities that came with ruling a kingdom I had never thought I would be meant to rule. It was always Leopold that was to inherit mother and father's kingdoms, not I. I did not expect it, I did not desire it, I did not think it would ever fall to me. But it did," he shrugged, "It did and I was not ready. Within what felt like moments I had gone from a spare heir to king-to-be. I had no time to prepare, and…suddenly I was overwhelmed with new responsibilities. I now had a castle to keep, people that would be looking to me to guide them and protect them, care for them and supply them. I had expectations of finding a wife," his smile returned when he heard the small inhale from his daughter, understanding that all that he'd just said, all the things he had been left with were the exact same things she was now fearing for herself, "I wasn't ready. I wasn't…I didn't think I was strong enough. I didn't want the kingdom, I didn't think I would be a good king. I thought…I thought I would drive the kingdom to disaster if I was left command of it," he stroked her cheek, seeing the tears had ceased at his tale, "I, unlike you, did not have a cousin I trusted with ruling it."

Rose frowned, "But Uncle Leopold…"

"Was the exact reason my parents thought this kingdom," he removed his hand from her cheek to gesture around, "Should fall to me. Leopold is…"

"Soft?" she supplied.

"Yes," he chuckled, accepting that description of his brother as it meant his daughter was becoming more engaged, was listening and taking it all in, "Leopold was soft. My parents feared he would not be able to do what a ruler had to for his people and their safety. He was so concerned, and still is, for his people's happiness and not much else. It was yet another expectation on me, that I would not be like him in that regard. That I would take better care," he let out a breath, "I was…trapped. I could not refuse, it would be an insult to my parents and their trust in me, an insult to the people, abdicate and it was relinquishing the kingdom to a different relative, but I couldn't flee either. I would have undoubtedly been found. That left only one option."

Rose's eyes widened, "You…"

He nodded, "I thought that my kingdom would be better with Leopold, in the end, that it would be better with him than a random relative if I…if I took my own life. I had gone to the Sirens, plotting an 'accidental' death by drowning, no one would suspect it was planned, not many can resist Sirens, and if it was an accident, Leopold would inherit," he looked at Rose a moment, seeming to be studying her, "Did I ever tell you how I met your mother?"

Rose let out a breath at that, "Mother was the siren you went to?" she guessed and he nodded, "Mother tried to kill you?!"

He laughed at that, "No, no," he brought his hand back to the one he still clasped, "She refused to kill me. Said I wasn't enough of a challenge if I didn't value my life, if it was worth so little to me that I would throw it away, then it was worth even less to her," he fell silent, thinking back on that moment with a soft smile on his face, "She saved my life that night. I was so stubborn," he shook his head, "After she refused, I refused to go to another Siren. I was determined, positively determined, that SHE be the one to do it. I came back as many nights as I could, and she was always the Siren to rise for me, and we…talked, many times, for many hours, and slowly we learned about each other, we grew to respect each other, care for one another…"

"Love each other?" Rose gave a small smile at that.

"Yes," he nodded, "The one meant to kill me, became the one that saved me, became the one that made me want to live, made me want to rule…with her by my side."

"I do not think that is possible for me, father," Rose looked down, "I am not completely human."

He reached out, lifting her chin, "I loved a woman that was not human at all," he reminded her, "If I could, I have no doubt there is a man out there that will love you for all that you are."

She looked at her father for that, feeling the tears gathering again but refused, simply refused to let them fall this time, "You do?"

He nodded, smiling at her, "You are stronger than you know, Rose. You are much stronger than me. I am not deaf to the discontent of my people, in regards to you, to your mother," he admitted, "I would make them stop if I could, create an edict to make the whispers punishable by death…"

This time it was Rose that squeezed his hand, "But to do so would create unrest, would create rebellion, to silence the people is to have them plot in silence. Expression is the means of releasing frustrations."

"Your mother taught you that," he mused, hearing his wife's words in his daughter's recitation, "I would do anything to make you feel accepted, Rose…"

"YOU accept me," Rose murmured, "That means more than the acceptance of a kingdom."

"I will always accept you and love you," he promised her, "You are my daughter, you are the proof of my love for your mother, of our love for each other. And I love you with my whole heart."

Rose smiled a bit at that.

"I bore the responsibilities and expectations of a kingdom for mere months," he continued, "Before it became too much for me and I sought out your mother. You have born it…since you came into this world," he let out a deep breath at that, regret tinging his words, the empathy still there, "You have been raised knowing what would be expected of you, all your life, as such a young girl you always knew," he seemed regretful that she had been so burdened so young, "Worse still you have done all of that without the full support or acceptance of the people you will one day rule. You have faced more adversity in these early years of your life than many rulers will ever face in the entirety of their reign, and you have held yourself with dignity and grace far beyond what any other princess would be able to manage. You are so much stronger than me, Rose, to bear all that, and not give up. To only be affected by it now, after so many years of it. It would be a lie to say that things will ease, that the whispers will stop, and I think you know this too," she nodded, "All I can say to you Rose, is that you are too strong to let that stop you. You are stronger in being half-non human, than any full human could ever be. It is a strength I envy, one I wish I had had, and one that I pray shall never fail you, one I hope shall carry on, well into your own reign, into your legacy. Roses are…the most beautiful flower," he reached up to stroke her cheek a moment, "They appear so fragile, so soft, so delicate…but they are protected in their thorns, strong and resolute, enduring. They are not as fragile as they appear."

Rose nodded softly at that, considering her father's words.

They did make sense. And, in a way, hearing about her father's past, how he had met her mother had…helped, it truly had.

Her father was one of the strongest, most resolute men she had ever known. He was a fair ruler, just, cautious and kind, wise beyond his years and open to new thoughts. He ruled well, he ruled with balance of care and distance. He was truly a great and magnificent king, the strongest of men, both in will and mind and heart…

And yet he had felt just as she had. He had felt so low, so put upon, so pressed with responsibility and expectations that he had truly considered ending his life, had reached a point of going through with it. He had reached that point in his life and fought his way out of it, had her mother to support him, to help him rise, to be there with him and push him onwards, to make him want to fight…and now look at where he was now.

If he could do it, if her father could have reached lower than she felt…for she had deeply considered if the kingdom would fare better without her there, had truly contemplated removing herself from the world but had yet to find a way to do so…if he could reach that point and rise so high as to be where he was now, to fight those fears of not being good enough or being right for the people…why couldn't she?

She was half siren, yes, half human as well, she had all the possibility her father had, all the strength of her mother, they had both tried their best to be a guiding hand for her, a role model, to prepare her so she was never overwhelmed, and they believed in her.

The most important, they believed in her, they trusted her, they supported her, they accepted her, and they loved her.

And why should it matter if the people didn't? They would not be the ones ruling the kingdom. They would not be the Queen. They would not be the ones living with the burdens and responsibilities for every life in the realm. The people would NEVER understand what it was like to be her, both in being a princess and in being half-siren, they could never understand. So what did it matter what they thought of her if they couldn't even comprehend her.

What did it matter if she didn't find a husband, if she never had children? Snow would, she knew her cousin had a larger shot at true love than she did. Let Snow's child be her heir.

What did it matter if the people didn't support her? Snow would, her uncle would, her parents would, and they were the ones that understood her most, they were the ones whose opinion mattered most.

And what did it matter if she was cool or distant? She would have a broader perspective of the kingdom and the problems, she wouldn't be as soft as her uncle, she would do what needed to be done to protect and prosper her kingdom.

She nodded to herself, looking at her father who was watching her, "Thank you papa," she murmured, leaning in to hug him this time.

It didn't matter what the people thought, they didn't know her, they expected her to fail?

She wouldn't.

She would fight, she would push, and she would prove herself not just to them…

But to herself as well.

A/N: I wanted to sort of show a transition period, a moment between Rose Red the girl and Rose Red the near-adult, to show that while her siren side makes her feel stronger later in her life, that she did experience human weaknesses, I also wanted this to be something very deep and meaningful for Piper and her father. With all the remarks and stares Piper got, all the whispers and mistrust through her entire life, all the claims that she would become a monster or would be a fearsome ruler, it HAD to have an impact on her, especially with how isolated she is without Snow there :( I felt like this would be a very real consideration for her and something only her father would be able to talk to her about :(

And now a sort of good news/bad news/good news thing to follow:

Good news...I got a call yesterday afternoon and...I got a job I'd been interviewing for! Woo! _Finally_!

Bad news...I start this Wednesday for an unofficial introduction to the company and then begin training next Monday in an official 'I have a job' capacity.

Which means I'm going to have to rework my posting schedule again :'( I'm determined not to push anything to next year again, I am determined NOT to let that happen. I am, however, going to have to push around some things for the rest of 2015 to make sure I can get all the stories posted while not letting my work suffer at my job :(

I am going to be posting on my tumblr, tonight, the updated order of stories to come. For the most part I think it will mean only posting one series of a story at a time, not trying to do two series at once (like I had been doing OUAT and Doctor Who). BUT! There will be times that I'd post perhaps a movie-story series along with another TV-story series. I still have to work it out, but some of the posting dates will likely be changed. I need to see if I can manage to fit everything into the coming months without going too overboard. I'd managed to do 2 story-series at the same time (OUAT and DW) but I had no job and had more time to work on them. Now that I've got a job coming up and will likely be losing about...10ish hours a day, I'm going to have to cut it down to just 1 series at a time for the most part I think.

Good news...the stories will STILL continue, I'm just going to need to work out a better/less stressful system at the moment ;)

Some notes on reviews...

Mary might appear in Storybrooke in the future, but not with a very major part ;)

Lol, I'm on the fence about Snow, like I loved her in Season 1-2 but she just sort of started to get bland to me as the show went on, like she lost all her edge or something :/ And then with how she seemed to treat Regina like a tool to an end and lied to Emma, it was weird :/ I can say though I have big plans for August, especially with Piper around ;) I'm very excited about how Piper will fit into the finale, I can say a point may be proven to someone in that chapter :)

Ooh when/if Henry finds out Piper and Gold are back, he would have a very happy reaction to it ;)

OMG! Thank you! I loved it! :) I'm going to add a link to the story on my tumblr for Piper, that's just wonderful :) I laughed reading Hook there, I could definitely have seen that happening with the Dark Rose date if they'd had more time before the Shattered Sight, it was awesome! ^-^

The plotholes annoyed me SO much, I really wanted to try and find some way to have them make sense otherwise my own story would drive me insane lol :) Oh Emma's anger is only just beginning }:) It's not technically a spelling error, it's meant to be 'and magic could be like that' I think it's the 'she supposed' in the middle that throws it off just a bit, so it's not really 'drugs and magic' it's more 'drugs...and magic can be like drugs' ;) For the most part Henry and Emma will be on Piper and Gold's side, Piper will not be making the same mistake her cousin is in keeping things from Henry and Emma, which we'll see very soon ;) That bothered me too, how Snow just demanded Regina do all this :( And then in the next episode, it's been like barely a handful of hours and the next morning Snow's like 'so you didn't get anything done?' like she was supposed to magically get information after being seen on the hero's side by the Queens? Snow was really very selfish to me in the last half of this season, something she'll be called out for in time }:) I agree, I liked her purple outfit from Season 1 more than making her look like the movie version of her :( Emma will be very shocked and very angry when she finds out her mother's reasons, I can say Emma might even say something to her mother that breaks her heart even more and really puts things into perspective for Snow about how she's gone about things and her need to think things through more before she acts or reacts }:) I hope Gold still has magic, it would be interesting to see what he does with it in the show. I sort of feel like everyone will expect 'oh, the darkness is gone, he's good now' but he's been the Dark One for centuries, I doubt it was ALL the darkness in him but more a combination of his own true self and the power of the Dark One. I sort of want to see him _choose_ to be dark because that would be really interesting to see him start off light but really just truly have an orientation for dark magic that he returns to. I feel like it would be how Belle keeps trying to change him in the show, if they make him this new light-only person, then that's what they've done, changed him just because everyone else wants him to not be 'evil' or a 'villain' :/


	26. Enter the Dragon

Enter the Dragon

Gold paused as he entered the main room of his cabin, two cups of hot beverages in his hand as he looked at Piper. She was sitting on a small armchair pulled up to the fireplace, barely even looking at the fire within. He knew she hated fire, but it was chilly and it was small and he was right there…and it really did appear that she wasn't even aware it was flickering before her, so lost was she in though. He shook his head, knowing that overhearing Mary Margaret and her reasons for doing to Emma what she had had shaken his true love. Oh Piper had guessed why the woman did it, but guessing or wondering was FAR different than knowing for certain. Without knowing she could hope she was wrong.

But she hadn't been.

It was no surprise to him, Piper knew her cousin's mind well enough after so long. It was how they'd worked out what Snow White and her charming prince's reactions would be, what would lure them down to Maleficent's ashes. All of it rested on how well Piper knew her cousin…and it had worked flawlessly. So it wasn't a shock that she could guess why Snow White had done what she had. It still hurt though, he could see it, despite her hardened heart, it still hurt.

Because Piper, for as Siren-like as she was, was still part human.

"Pip," he called out gently, handing her a hot chocolate, hoping it might be a comfort to her even though he had made himself tea.

"Many thanks," she murmured, taking it, taking a sip of it, smiling ever so slightly as she looked up to him, "It should not hurt," she remarked.

"It always hurts," he sighed, "Even when we hate them, what they do still hurts," his mind drifted back to Milah for a moment. Oh how he had come to hate that woman, and as much as he did hate her, what she did still hurt him. He shook his head, moving to sit in another chair beside her, "Pip…" he reached out to take her hand, making her look at him, "I may have something that would cheer you though."

She blinked, frowning, "What?"

He took a breath, "When Belle sent me the scans of the spell she found," he began, "She didn't just send a page of it, she sent the one before and after."

"I do not understand what that has to do…"

"I may have a way to restore your boy."

Piper stared at him a long while at that, feeling her breath leave her at what he'd just said, "August?"

He nodded, setting his tea down on the floor and taking her hand in both of his, "There is a restoration spell that…had truly escaped my mind," he told her, staring into her eyes so she would know he spoke truly, that he genuinely had not recalled the spell and wasn't just hiding it or keeping it from her, "I have not read that spell that Belle found in…in many decades," he added, needing her to understand that he would NOT keep this from her, "You know me Pip, I never want you to be in pain or hurt, if I had thought of it sooner I would have told you instantly and restored your boy and…"

Piper leaned over and kissed him quickly, "I know," she breathed, "I know you would have told me of such a spell if you had recalled it," she smiled a bit, "Over 300 years of magical knowledge in your head, Rummy, I would be shocked if you did not forget something every now and then."

He let out a gentle breath he hadn't known he was holding at that, so relieved she wasn't angry with him or, worse yet, thought he'd withheld the spell from her on purpose, "Thank you Piper."

She nodded, "There is one question though…" she sighed, putting her hot chocolate down, "Belle sent you the texts in New York, why have you not said anything about it till now?"

"I didn't want to get your hopes up," he reached out to touch her cheek, "We didn't know if we'd be able to get back into Storybrooke, if there was a way in. I didn't want to tell you it was possible only to have us never be able to set foot in the town and see it through. And, even now…there is one rather large obstacle that would keep me from enacting the spell."

"What is it?"

"I require a 'wand' that has been around the boy when he was a man to begin the spell. I need my Dagger, Pip."

Piper closed her eyes at that, regretting how she had let her anger and hurt get the best of her that night weeks ago. Mary Margaret had had the dagger, had passed it to Emma and, when Gold had been sent over the line, it was like everything else was blurring around her. She hadn't thought, at all, about the dagger or anything else, just getting back to her love, not letting him face the world alone. She hadn't realized till they were a good distance down the road that she had left the dagger behind. She had tried to reassure herself that it wasn't important to keep any longer, that it couldn't control her love ever again…but it could still kill him. The Dagger may have been a limit on his power, but it was still a source of it. The Dagger was the only thing that could kill him and it was in the hands of those that would.

If Mary Margaret could send Gold over the line without a second thought, if David had been so eager to execute Regina in the Enchanted Forest…she did not doubt that, should it come to it, the heroes would make the sacrifice 'for the greater good' and kill him. She hoped that Mary Margaret would come to regret what she had done, that even out of guilt alone she would give Gold a chance to survive in Storybrooke before declaring he needed to be killed. She hoped that they would realize that just because Gold was free of the Dagger did NOT mean that the next Dark One would be as well. The spell was only for the person whose name was on the dagger and no other. If anyone killed him, thinking it would end the Dark One, they would just become the next Dark One, complete with the limitations of the dagger upon them once more.

She hoped, in the extreme, that none of the heroes would consider doing that so as not to risk 'tainting' themselves with the darkness that came with being the Dark One.

They were planning to get the dagger back, eventually, as, because it was such a powerful and enchanted object, it couldn't just be poofed to his hand without him knowing where it was first. Now though, it seemed they truly needed it back as soon as they could manage.

She never should have left without the dagger.

She opened her eyes when she felt Gold lifting her chin to look at him, "We will get it back, Pip," he promised her, "And you will have your boy back."

She hesitated a moment, "Must we?"

He blinked at that, "You don't want…"

"I do," she nodded, "I want my son back, badly…" she admitted, "But…he is Pinocchio now, he is…he is with his father again. If it were any other child save Henry, I would not hesitate. But…August is my son, but he is also Gepetto's and was Gepetto's first. I am not certain I can take his son from him a second time…"

"I can reverse it," Gold assured her, "If August chooses to, I can reverse the spell as easily as it was cast. Pip…" he sighed, "He may be the only one with answers about the Author. Answers he didn't get a chance to tell you."

There had been SO much she had had to learn about her son from other people, things she knew he would have told her about if he'd had the time, but once he'd started to turn into wood, there were other things they needed to focus on, things that had to be seen to, and by the time it was all resolved…he was a boy again. She had his possessions, she had notes and papers that seemed to be part of the storybook Henry had, but August was the one that had studied them. When she had first gotten the bag of August's things from Gepetto, she couldn't bring herself to look at them, had stored them away in Gold's home. Then there had been the curses, and then the banishment, and she had only JUST gotten them back now with not enough time to dedicate to looking them over. Not now.

Time was truly of the essence, for her and Gold, and they had to take the quick way in this case. August was the only one that knew, that had looked at those papers from every angle, the one that seemed to know more about the Author than she did.

And…she missed her son.

"Very well," she nodded, "We shall get your dagger first…" she smiled a bit, "And I think I know just how to do it."

~8~

Emma stood before her parents in their apartment, gaping at them after the information they had just revealed to her, "I'm sorry. Regina's doing what?!"

"She's going undercover," David stated.

"With someone who could turn into a dragon?!" Emma stared at them, completely disbelieving they were going along with this, "Are you out of your minds? Why didn't you call me?"

"There wasn't time. She told us the plan. That was it."

Emma's eyes narrowed at that, making her mother shift, which was just another fact that was bothering her. That was a lie, that was yet ANOTHER lie from these people! Honestly did they think she was stupid? 'She told us the plan' no, no she very much doubted that it was Regina that had come up with this. Regina had other things to worry about than figuring out what the 'Queens of Darkness' were up to.

Which begged the question, WHY had her parents come up with this plan? Were they really THAT paranoid about the Queens? And why? Ever since the two women had appeared in town her parents had been on edge, suspicious, on a war path basically of pointing fingers and seeming to want to catch the women doing something terrible.

Honestly, as far as they knew, it could be that they thought Maleficent deserved a happy ending too!

So why were they lying to her about this? If THEY wanted Regina in there, why? Just say so and tell her WHY.

"You should've told me," she muttered, not about to let them know she was suspecting the truth. If they were going to keep secrets, she would hold her silence till they eventually told her what the truth was.

And if they didn't?

Well then they weren't very good heroes were they?

"Why?" Mary Margaret sounded very nearly like she was scoffing, "You really think you could've stopped her?"

Emma raised an eyebrow at her mother for the tone, "I could've _helped_. I was a bail-bonds person. Pretending to be someone else was part of my job."

"I know that," Mary Margaret sighed, "But I really think Regina can take care of herself."

"I hope you're right," Emma huffed, "When is she supposed to check in?" but the two looked away, "Hey!" she almost shouted, making them look at her, " _When_ is she supposed to check in?"

David sighed, "About an hour ago."

Emma shook her head at them, "You should have told me," she repeated before she turned and stormed out of the apartment.

She was really getting sick of the lies.

~8~

Piper looked up as there was a knock on the door of the cabin, getting up from her armchair and walking over to it, smiling as she drew nearer, hearing the song drifting through the wood from the other side.

Henry's eyes widened in surprise before he grinned and threw himself at her with a cry of, "Aunt P!" hugging her tightly as she returned the embrace just as strongly.

"Hello Henry."

"I'm glad you're ok," Henry murmured, squeezing her one more time before he pulled away, "I thought, when you told me to find grandpa's cabin in the woods, that there was something hidden here that would help you send something to me not that YOU were here," he seemed very pleased with her being there though, "This is SO much better," his expression fell just a moment, "Grandpa…"

"Is right here," Gold called, stepping out from the back room, "Hello Hen…" he didn't even get to finish before Henry was half flying across the room to nearly tackle his grandfather in a bear hug.

Piper smiled as she saw Gold blink, genuinely startled that Henry was hugging him so tightly and seemed so happy to see him, before he started to smile as well and wound his arms around the boy, closing his eyes to enjoy the moment.

"Hello Henry," he breathed, squeezing the boy tightly, feeling tears in his eyes at how Henry was actually happy about this, that the 'heroes' hadn't managed to make him seem like a monster about to go on a rampage now that he was free to the boy.

"How did you two get back?" Henry beamed at them, pulling away.

Piper let out a scoffing breath and shook her head, "I knew Snow White would say nothing."

Henry blinked and frowned, "Grandma knew?" he looked between them, seeing them both serious, "She knew and she didn't tell me?"

"Oh there are many things she has not told you nor your mother Henry," Piper sighed, moving to sit on the armchair again, yawning widely, it had been a…long night, one she hadn't been able to find sleep in.

Henry though almost seemed to expect that and let out a huff, shaking his head at being kept in the dark, "I hate it when they keep things from me. I missed you guys," he looked at them, offering a smile again, "I'm really glad cell phones work though."

Piper felt herself smile again at that, Henry had been a clever boy, had thought to try her cell phone a few short hours after she'd left Storybrooke and, luckily, the connections worked between the town and the outside world. Henry had expressed how sorry he was for what Mary Margaret had done, how Emma had told him what happened, how it wasn't fair that they gave the Evil Queen a chance but not the Dark One, and it wasn't right.

He called them at least three times a week since they'd gone.

And he'd called last night, saying he needed help.

Now they were all together once more.

"We missed you as well Henry," Piper told him, though she grew serious a moment later, "You said you needed my help with something?"

Henry nodded, "Operation Mongoose, that's the thing I was telling you about before," he looked at Piper, "That mom and I are trying to find the author. She wanted to talk to Pinocchio, see if he remembered anything…"

"He has no memory of his time as August though…"

"I know, and mom knows it now too," he agreed, "She was hoping though," but shook his head, "She went to see Gepetto and he said that you had things that belonged to August, I just wanted to ask if there was anything you had that might help mom find the Author?"

Pipe glanced at Gold at that, leaving it to him to decide if she should offer the few pages she had found in August's belongings to Henry. It wasn't that she didn't want to give it to him, she did, because Henry, she had no doubt, would pour over those papers and do them justice in finding clues for the Author, he would do what they couldn't. It wasn't even that she doubted Henry would keep them in the dark about things he found, it was just…the reason they were trying to find the Author now as well, it had more to do with Gold than her, it affected him much more so and so she would leave it to him.

Gold gave her a subtle nod and she smiled at Henry, "Let me go check," she told him, getting up and slowly making her way out of the room.

Henry frowned as he watched her go, "Is she ok Grandpa?" he looked up at Gold, he had noticed that her voice had been a bit weak over the phone when she'd been in New York, he'd thought it was just the connection though. Seeing her now though, she sounded stronger, but she seemed paler as well, more tired.

"Many things happened in New York, Henry," Gold sighed, "Many things that affected the both of us," he shook his head.

"But now you're back here," Henry frowned, "You're both ok now, right?"

Gold gave him an almost sad smile, "Let's just say…we would like a word with the Author as well."

Henry eyed him, "I feel like something else is going on and you're not telling me."

"Perceptive."

"Grandpa…" he hesitated, "Mom, er, Regina, and I ran into two other villains in town before. Cruella and Ursula. They're in town, and so are you and Aunt P…"

Gold sighed, knowing that it wasn't quite question but that Henry was giving him the chance to explain, was waiting to hear what he had to say. He nodded, gesturing to the two armchairs by the fire and moving to sit down with Henry.

"Henry," he took a deep breath, "You know about what happened at the townline," Henry nodded, "And you understand that Piper is…half-siren, yes?"

"Yeah."

"What your grandmother did," he shook his head, "It hurt Piper, deeply. She and Mary Margaret were only just about to try and repair harsh words that were exchanged when I was banished. Your grandmother doesn't trust me, Henry, and in doing what she did, she severed Piper from her true love, her…uh, mate," he cleared his throat at that word, "That's a siren's love," Henry frowned as he listened to him speak, "That act, banishing me, cutting me off from Piper and her from me…it was a betrayal."

Henry's eyes widened, "Sirens don't do well with betrayal," he murmured, "Did…" he swallowed, "Did Aunt P's heart harden?"

"It did."

Henry let out a breath, "Against Mary Margaret or…"

"Just her," Gold reassured the boy, seeing a genuine concern that he might have lost his aunt because of his grandmother, "She's just cross with Mary Margaret, not you, not Emma, not Neal."

"But she feels like Mary Margaret betrayed her…" Henry worked it out slowly, "The only way for a Siren to heal from that is to…to take revenge," he looked at Gold, "But Aunt P would never hurt grandma!"

Gold chuckled at that, "Even at her absolute worst, I don't think she could either," he agreed, glancing at the door Piper had disappeared through and back to Henry, "But she is very hurt and things are complicated."

"Complicated how?"

Gold sighed, "Snow White IS very important to Piper," he knew that better than anyone, he had seen everything she had done for her cousin, everything she suffered and endured for the woman, that sort of care…he couldn't see Piper ignoring all of that, "But she is very hurt and it's hard for her to cope with it. On one hand, Henry, the siren in her wants revenge, true and utter revenge against the woman that wronged her. But on the other hand, she's still human, and that human part of her still loves her cousin, I think."

"She's not going to hurt Mary Margaret, is she?" he asked, continuing before Gold could think that he was afraid for Mary Margaret, "She would regret it a lot when her heart heals. She never wants anyone to hurt us. If SHE did…"

Gold just looked at his grandson, pride in his eyes for the boy's foresight and understanding. He wasn't blaming Piper for something she biologically couldn't control, he truly didn't want her to hurt his grandmother not because it would hurt the woman, but because it would affect Piper after she came back from this. He admired his grandson greatly for that.

"That's what I'm here for," Gold told him, "Among other things. I know how much Pip loves her cousin. Even if she can't quite reach that feeling right now, even if she might WANT to hurt Snow White, I won't let her," he promised Henry, "I…DO care about your family Henry, and I care about Piper and her heart more than anything. If she truly harmed Mary Margaret, it would haunt her once she'd healed her heart. And I won't see her suffer that."

"Then what ARE you going to do?" Henry asked, "And can I help?"

Gold shook his head at Henry, more in fondness than in telling him no, "I would like your help," he smiled at the boy, "It could be our own Operation."

"Operation Bluebird!" Henry supplied, "Snow White's favorite birds are blue birds, but it's also the farthest animal from a sea creature, a bird, incase anyone gets suspicious."

"Sounds perfect," Gold chuckled, "Henry…" he grew serious, "Revenge, what Piper needs to see through in order to soften her heart to Mary Margaret, it can take many forms. You know what Pip did to Cora, how that was revenge against Regina?" Henry nodded, "And how Regina and Piper are now on…something of a truce?" he nodded again, "Piper is in a delicate position because any revenge she takes against Mary Margaret will, undoubtedly, affect you and Emma and other members of your family. She needs to be able to…" he sighed, hating to have to say this to the boy, "Cause equal harm and heartache to Snow White, but she can't do something that would truly harm you or Emma."

"Then what is it?" Henry frowned, "What could she do that doesn't hurt us?"

"There is…a secret your grandmother is keeping from you, from your mother, from everyone," Gold began, being very careful about his words, "Piper means to expose it. It is something your mother deserves to know, in the long run, and something that would upset Snow White to have revealed. It is…a tenuous revenge, but it may be enough to cause Snow White enough pain while also protecting you and Emma for Piper to overcome Snow White's betrayal."

Henry nodded slowly at that, "Wouldn't she not need to…to take revenge though?" Henry wondered, "You and Aunt P are back, the banishment's over, doesn't that sort of negate things?"

"It still happened," Gold shook his head, "Mary Margaret still proved that she WOULD betray her cousin in such a manner, and it's not something Piper is having an easy time overcoming. And, as I said, Henry, more happened in New York, than you know."

"So tell me," Henry looked him in the eye, "If…if I'm going to keep this from grandma, if…if I can help Aunt P, I want to know everything. I want to know what the secret is. What happened in New York…"

"You may regret wishing you knew," Piper's voice spoke as she entered the room, a small bundle of papers in her arms, "Henry…it may change your view of Snow White."

Henry shook his head slowly at how, even now, Piper was still showing her care not just for him but, in a small way, Mary Margaret as well. He knew a majority of what she was saying was for his protection, she didn't want to harm HIM with what he wanted to know. But a tiny part of it was that she didn't want him to think badly of Snow White.

"Tell me."

~8~

Gold looked up from where he was poking at the fire as it died down, Piper curled up in the armchair once more, eating a sandwich he'd prepared, when the door opened and Cruella, Ursula, and Maleficent finally decided to return from their rather lengthy time away. As far as they'd agreed, the two Queens would be filling in Maleficent and then return back there…and now it was late in the afternoon, the women only just coming back now.

"Well, where the hell have you been all night?" Gold glared at them, as though he and Piper hadn't been keeping tabs on them in the crystal ball, cracked though it was.

"Don't be nasty," Maleficent rolled her eyes, "Regina came to find us. We had some catching up to do."

"Regina?" Piper played along, "And what, pray tell, did she want from you?"

"She was sniffing around for information," Ursula remarked.

"I do hope you were wise enough to tell her nothing," Piper glanced over at the sea witch, "Or has the time dealing with cleaning chemicals affected your mind?"

Ursula glared at her, taking a step towards her, her tentacles out…when she was pushed back against the wall, "Now, now, dearie," Gold lowered his hand, releasing the woman, "She has a point."

"We were careful, darling," Cruella muttered, unamused, "She doesn't know a thing."

"Very interesting plan, bringing us all together," Maleficent considered, "You and your little maid," she smirked at Piper.

"Careful dragon," Piper smirked, "I can kill you, human or dragon."

"Too bad your plan requires us to be alive."

"Our plan is just beginning," Gold cut in, though he did enjoy watching Piper taunt the women without even needing to get up, "But Regina does present an intriguing possibility."

"Do you really think she'll help us?" Maleficent turned to him.

Gold glanced at Piper, "What do you think Pip? You were there when she launched her attacks."

Piper swallowed the last bite of her sandwich, "Heartbreak can turn even the purest of hearts into a twisted monster," she mused, knowing he hadn't asked her that to bring up the past, but to make a point to the Queens that THEY were the power duo, the ones in charge, and that she had just as equal a say in what they did as Gold himself, "For a heart only starting to heal to be broken once more?" she shrugged, "I would not doubt Regina is in a great deal of pain."

"Pain always makes you stronger," Maleficent murmured.

"Indeed it does," Gold agreed, moving to sit on the armrest of Piper's chair, "When war hits Storybrooke, everyone's gonna have to pick a side, including Regina."

"And what war is that?"

"Oh, the one we're about to start," Gold grinned, "And tonight We're gonna throw the first punch."

Piper fell silent as Gold explained what the women would need to do, thinking more about Regina and how they would have to handle her. They knew, of course they knew, that she was playing the part of villain to get information. But THEY would control the information that the woman was given.

And…it would be rather amusing to see how long the Evil Queen could last, how frantic Snow White would grow when information wasn't quite as forthcoming as she would like.

~8~

Henry looked around as he entered the apartment, it was late, night now, and he'd been gone all day. He shook his head, it really was a testament to just how obsessed Snow White and her Shepherd were to keeping their stupid secret that they hadn't even bothered to check in on him. Emma had, mostly to tell him she was going to the library with Hook, Mary Margaret, and David, to meet with his mother…who was acting as a spy for them against the Queens of Darkness, against his grandfather and Piper.

Really, did adults think that EVERYTHING had to be done in secrets? Hadn't they learned by now not to underestimate him? His mother didn't have to be in danger just because Snow White wanted to keep a secret. She shouldn't be expected to keep one after the chaos Snow's inability to keep one caused. His mother shouldn't even be there because HE had just gotten a majority of their plan from them.

But he was not going to speak a WORD of it to the heroes.

Piper had been right when she told him it would change how he saw Snow White, what she'd done, what happened in New York because of what Mary Margaret had done on the townline.

He used to think they were heroes, that they were infallible, that they were always just and right and _good_. He'd been wrong. He'd seen villains with more nobility and honesty than some of the heroes in his own family. He couldn't believe he'd thought they were so great that he said all the horrible things he had to his own mother, that he'd thought with such firm resolve that good and evil were two separate entities and that no one could cross the lines and that good never did evil.

He'd been wrong, so wrong.

He felt disillusioned now, knowing what he did about what Snow White and Prince Charming had done, knowing what he knew now about what Mary Margaret's action had led to in New York.

He understood why Piper and Gold were looking for the Author too. He understood why Piper wanted to reveal that secret of Snow White's. It went beyond just revealing it, it went towards making Snow White realize she'd been a hypocrite and a liar and could be just as bad as the villain she had so desperately wanted to keep Emma from being that she'd…

He shook his head, he couldn't think of that now, he'd just get that much angrier, and right now he had a mission that required his attention much more.

He quickly made his way through the apartment, to the heating grate near Mary Margaret's bed, getting down on his knees and prying it open. He reached down and pulled out a bundle of cloth, unwrapping it quickly to make sure and smiled when he saw the Dagger hidden within.

He glanced at the door and back to the grate, quickly putting it back down and hid the dagger in his backpack before he hurried out of the apartment once more.

~8~

"Do you think it was wise?" Piper murmured as she and Gold remained in the cabin, "To allow Maleficent and Regina to collect Pinocchio?" she looked over at him, "I would have been the better choice, Gepetto trusts me, Pinocchio does, he would know I would allow no harm to come to him…"

"And he would have been made aware of our plans," Gold moved over to her, taking her hands, "NO harm shall befall him, I promise you this Pip. This is…a way to keep the others distracted, while WE reach the next step in our plans," he placed a hand on her cheek, "It is a way for Regina to 'prove herself' to the others."

Maleficent was to meet Regina and convince her to essentially kidnap Pinocchio and bring him there, as a sort of initiation test, Ursula and Cruella were watching them from the shadows incase Regina failed and could help Maleficent deal with her. They were waiting there for them to return.

"If she harms a _single hair_ on his head…" Piper began.

"I will hold her down while you rip her heart out," Gold cut in gently, chuckling when Piper managed a smile at that, "I like this side of you Pip," he murmured, looking into her eyes, "Instinctive, maternal, protective of your young..."

Piper hummed at that, "Pinocchio is my 'young,'" she countered, "I love him Rummy, and I will not see him harmed."

"You shall see him restored," he swore, "You shall see him soon."

They looked over when there was a knock on the door moments before it burst open and Henry ran in, smiling, "I got it!" he told them, moving to set his backpack on the armchair, digging through it to pull out a cloth-wrapped parcel, "The Dagger," he held it out them, "Is it the real one?" he asked, a small frown on his face as Gold took it, "It was hidden in the heating grate, like the knife used to frame Mary Margaret. But there wasn't any other charms to protect it and…"

"It is," Gold reassured him, and it would be like the heroes to be so SURE of their amazing defenses and hiding spots that they wouldn't even think someone would try to take the dagger, "It's real. Thank you Henry," he looked at his grandson.

Henry shrugged, "The only thing it can really do is kill you now," he grew serious, "And I don't want that to ever happen."

"Nor I," Piper agreed.

"And this'll help bring August back too?" he looked at them, knowing how much it meant to his Aunt to have August returned to his older self.

"It shall," Gold nodded, "Very well done, Henry."

Henry beamed, "You gave me the papers from August," he looked at his aunt, "You gave me something, it was only fair I give you something in return. It's a fair deal, right?" he teased them about their dual history with making deals and keeping agreements.

"That it is," Piper laughed, moving to hug Henry tightly, "Many thanks, Henry."

"I just want you guys to be ok," Henry gave her a squeeze and pulled back, "And…thank you," he told them, "For being honest with me."

"I have learned never to lie to you Henry," Piper informed him, "I think you may have a superpower of your own in that."

"Like you and mom," Henry smiled at the thought.

"And, truly, thank you," Piper continued, "For understanding. For not thinking me…"

Henry just hugged her again, "You're my Aunt P," he murmured against her, "You're part Siren, your true love is the Dark One, your cousin is Snow White, your niece is the Savior, your nephew has the heart of the truest believer," he pulled back, "You're not evil just because you're a villain, just like…just like Snow White and Prince Charming aren't all good just because they're heroes. I trust you," he looked between them, "You've earned it, and I wish other people had realized it before they hurt you."

"As do we," Gold agreed, stepping beside Piper to take her hand, "You should head back home now, Henry, the others shouldn't be much longer."

Henry nodded, "You'll keep me updated though? Tell me if you need help?"

"We shall," Piper promised.

"And I'll keep you updated on the Author and the papers," Henry agreed, stepping forward to hug his grandfather once more, "Good luck."

"And you," Piper called as Henry hurried out the door.

Gold looked down at the Dagger in his hand and squeezed Piper's, "We shall see your boy restored," he murmured, a small smile growing on Piper's face at the words.

~8~

Regina frowned as Maleficent led her towards a small cabin in the woods, explaining to her that it belonged to Mr. Gold, which was confusing, there were far more places the Queens of Darkness could have set up their base instead of there, "Gold's cabin? What are we doing here?"

She had half expected them to end up back down in the cave under the library with Pinocchio, that Cruella and Ursula were collecting from Cruella's car.

"We needed someplace out of the way to hang our headdresses and hide our kidnapped puppets," Maleficent shrugged, stepping into the wooden room, "And this little hovel became available to us."

"No," Regina frowned, turning to her, realization dawning on her, something she should have realized long ago, "Your dark magic it's not a spell or an object. It's…"

"That's right, dearie," Gold stepped into the room, "It's me."

"And me," Piper joined him, both of them playing along. Regina was clearly trying to make it seem like she HADN'T already known they were both back in the town lines. So they were making it seem like they had no idea that Regina was spying on them.

"You didn't really think I'd stay banished for long, now, did you?" Gold smirked.

"No," Regina's lips pursed, "I didn't."

Gold nodded at that, "You see…Pip and I learned quite a bit about ourselves on our little journey outside Storybrooke," he chuckled darkly, looking at Regina intently, "You were right, Regina. Sometimes the teacher needs to learn from the student. And sometimes you need to fall very far to finally see the light."

"Well, then you've finally accepted the same truth I have," she crossed her arms, "You can't get your happy ending without finding the Author. I suppose that puts us on the same side."

"It does appear so," Piper eyed her, "Maleficent," she turned to the woman, "Did she accomplish the task?"

"She did," the woman nodded.

"Then where is Pinocchio?"

"Coming," Regina's eyes narrowed at Piper, finding it odd that the woman would allow Pinocchio to be taken and used, given her history with the puppet.

"And there he is," Gold looked over as Ursula pushed the door open, Cruella carrying the little red-haired boy into the cabin, August seeming to be asleep but unharmed, "Our guest of honor. Pip?" he held out a hand to her and Piper smirked, leaning down to pull his dagger out of her boot, having taken it from him after Henry left.

She paused in handing it to him, seeing how Regina stiffened at the sight, her eyes widening slightly in shock that they had it, "Everything alright, Regina?" she taunted.

Regina's jaw clenched, "Just fine," she nearly sneered, "Just wondering what you're all hoping to accomplish," she glanced around, "I already questioned the boy, he knows nothing."

"We're hoping to accomplish the first steps towards finding the Author, dearie," Gold answered, giving Regina a look, "Now, you can either step aside and I'll show you what that means, unless you've gone soft…"

"Never," Regina chuckled darkly after a moment.

"What a relief," Gold barely refrained from rolling his eyes as he stepped towards August, Piper beside him, his dagger in hand, "You see, we're not gonna ask young Pinocchio here to remember anything because he can't. No amount of questions or interrogations will work on him. But it _will_ succeed on the man he used to be," he held out his hand to Piper, taking the dagger from her this time, and held it above August, waving it slightly, in gentle motions, murmuring the spell under his breath.

Piper inhaled deeply when the boy, before her eyes, shown with a white light before it faded, leaving August sitting there, "Key…"

August's eyes blinked open as he looked up, hardly seeing the other women standing around him, not even taking into consideration Gold standing over him with his Dagger, just focusing on the blonde woman who had her eyes so wide, her mouth falling open, looking at him with tears gathering.

"Mama," he breathed, pushing himself out of the chair and reaching for her, hugging her tightly as a few tears leaked out of her eyes and seeped into his shirt, making him hold her tighter, so…happy, and relieved and just…truly happy to be able to hug her again, see her and know her.

Piper wrapped her arms around the man, closing her eyes as she hugged him back, knowing, with that one word that it had worked.

She had her son back.

A/N: Apologies that there wasn't a chapter up yesterday :( The way I planned my commute to my new job gave me plenty of time beforehand to stop in the Dunkin Donuts across the street from it and I planned to use their wi-fi to upload, but ended up having connectivity problems :( I'll be planning for that better in the future, and try the McDonald's down the street for their wi-fi instead :) But when I got home, my family surprised me with a celebration dinner for my first day (even though it was technically the unofficial first day lol) and we got back too late to post :(

For this chapter though, I was SO annoyed with Snow and David in this episode, like they lied to Emma about it being Regina's plan, then they got all huffy with Regina for not prying the secrets out of the Queens in the span of a few hours and going on about how she only accomplished damaging a car? And then later, meeting her in the library, Snow tells her they were worried about her? If they were so worried they would have actually done something when Regina missed her check in time instead of letting an hour (or even more) go by :( And I always hated that the heroes got to be so selfish at times and think it was right and justified but always put villains down when they did the same :(

I hope you enjoyed the Henry and Dark Rose moments :) I could see Henry keeping in touch with Piper and Gold in the outside world. I think, in being the more 'modern' of them all, Henry would have immediately tried calling Piper's cellphone first. Whenever I leave the house I always have my phone and debit card with me incase of emergencies, so I feel like it would be understandable for Piper to at least have her phone on her while all that was going on before :)

But here's the question...what did Gold and Piper say, about Snow, about New York, that could get _Henry_ to agree to give the dagger back to Gold and Piper? To help them with revenge against Snow White? Hmm... }:)

Some notes on reviews...

I think Gold would very much want to marry Piper :) We'll have to wait and see what happens in the finale }:)

Oh I think Snow is definitely starting to see she made a terrible mistake }:) There will be quite a few things to come that'll help drive that point home too ;)

That's ok with me if you'd like to use that :) I'm not sure if other stories have done that, where, Robin wants to go after Marian more than Regina during the Shattered Sight, I feel like it would be something that had to have come up somewhere before my story lol :)

Thank you :) I don't think I saw the tumblr, but I'll have to check it out ;) And that's awesome :) I'm not much a tattoo person, but my sister has told me she actually really wants to get a Gemini one with me, since we're both Geminis (but as opposite as light and day lol) so I'm considering it as she never wants to do anything with me lol :) And thank you, my dad's doing better every day and very happy about it, he's recently tried eating some of the foods he'd stayed away from during treatments as a treat and is VERY happy to be able to eat junk foods and other things again lol :)

Lol, I actually wrote that whole chapter and then, when I was editing it, I had the Prince of Egypt playing and was like...that really is like Piper (and Snow)! Lol :)

Thank you :) It's a combination for Rose, she DID do something that's caused the people to be hesitant and fearful around her, but it's also been a very long time since it happened and they were naturally cautious around her from her birth due to her mother :( I think the kitchen staff were somewhat regretful but also a tiny bit suspicious in maybe thinking she was doing it to gain their favor and trust for something down the road :( Lol, we'll have to wait and see what happens in the finale }:) I think, for the people, it's that, despite their king marrying a full-Siren for love, they just can't picture anyone else really wanting to marry Rose for love but more for the title or a political alliance (even though Ethan refused to let his daughter be used as a pawn like that) :( And thank you! I fixed the first two, the last one though was meant to be just 'Leopold would inherit' in an implication that, since Ethan was talking about the kingdom, Leopold would inherit the kingdom ;) Yeah, I can't see that being a good method for a show, to treat it like live-action fanfiction and just wonder what to do to grab interest because they try to do too much and put too much in too few 'chapters' :( And, when you think about it, the way they did all the Fairytale characters as 'modern/cursed' versions...they essentially made them into OCs in a way, so now they've got WAY too many OCs running around and I've seen in the past (mostly through stories that had plagiarized my work and, for some reason, added in like 7 other OCs along with their OC) it gets to be WAY too much to keep control and track of and makes it far too difficult to really maintain telling a good story with enough detail and attention to each OC and you start to lose them in the mix :( I hope they don't use Gold, but I agree, it definitely feels like they do that to Regina way too much, mistrust her and believe the worst in her...until there's a danger to the town that needs her magic to stop, and then it's all 'Oh Regina, we believe in you, we know you changed, help us!' and then right back to watching her every move after :( Lol, that's cool, I mostly just use the actresses as a sort of 'this is close to how I see the OC' but they never end up being 100% exact lol :) I think, if you mean a Howard/OC for the Captain America movies, that she would be a good actress :) Howard was born in 1917, Captain America takes place in 1943-45 so he would be about 26-27 himself then so the age works ;)

I hope Gold doesn't lose all his memories, I fell like they'd need a way to explain it because it seems more like the things he did were his own choices and not the Darkness controlling him...or he wouldn't have been so freaked out about dying and the Darkness taking him over. It sort of sounded like he was conscious and aware of what he was doing so I hope it sticks. It would be more interesting to see him 'repent' or feel guilt over what he did when 'infected' by the darkness than to have no memory of it at all, but that's just my opinion :) I think, maybe, for the Author, since he was trapped in the book or book-realm(?) that maybe he was aware of the stories being written down as they were happening but he just wasn't the one writing them or able to change them? That's all I can think of for that lol :)

We'll have to wait and see what's coming ;)

Aww thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far :)


	27. Mother and Son

Mother and Son

Piper had…not been looking forward to this particular weekend. Pinocchio had begged her for it though and she had never been able to deny her son anything. She smiled at that, her son, he was legally her son now, adopted and all. Officially he was Keith Lynn, it allowed her to continue to call him 'Key' in public, but in private she called him Pinocchio as well. Her son had adapted quite well to the land without magic, even without having a partially developed life of that world already in his head like she did. He was a quick study, absorbed everything like a sponge instead of wood, and was so eager to learn new things.

And that was why she had been dreading this weekend.

He had learned about something, a small group for boys, the Boy Scouts they called themselves. He wanted to join their little club so badly, but she was hesitant. They moved, frequently, and she knew it was hard for him to leave the few friends he managed to make before they were moving to another location. To be part of a club would be even harder, they'd become friends faster and she hated to see him upset to leave them. It would make it easier though, the next area they moved to, for him to find new friends if he was to look around for the local Scout club and join them. There were useful things, badges she believed, that he would work towards, skills he would learn. How to survive in the woods…not that she felt he needed to know that given their lives in the Enchanted Forest…but first aid, charity, other skills that would be good to know.

They had compromised, she had asked him to prove to her that he really wanted to join the club, that he would remain dedicated to it and wasn't just joining it because one of the boys at school mentioned it. He had fully agreed and his brilliant plan to prove it was to take her camping. Well, it would be HER taking HIM camping, but he insisted that he would set up the tent and get the firewood set up (NOT lighting it though, he was as hesitant around fire having been wooden as he was), that he would show her the good berries and bad berries, that he would show her how to fish and identify the stars and lead her on a hike…everything he thought a boy scout should do. Everything he knew he would excel in that would help him get into the club to begin with.

She…was not much for camping. She had lived many years of her life in a castle, and then wandering, and then in another castle till she arrived here and had had a home. She had hated the wandering most, not having a home, not having protection. She equated having walls around her as being safe, being out and open in the woods brought up such poor memories for her now…but her son had wanted to go.

She had given in, bought a tent and supplies and other things they would need, had sent him to bed early to rise early and be off…and now, despite how much she had been dreading it, it appeared the trip would be canceled.

It was down pouring just outside the window. There was no way she could allow them to go camping in that weather. Not only would it be muddy and ridiculously hard to navigate and get anything set up, but she had no doubt her son would catch a cold as well and she wasn't going to let that happen. It shouldn't have rained though, the weather had seemed like it would hold up, but then she woke up…and it was raining hard. Switching on the news had revealed a freak shower over the area, one that appeared was going to last the whole of the weekend.

She let out a breath at that, turning to look at the stairs, knowing her son would wake up soon and see the rain and be so let down. She hated to see that expression on his face. She shifted in place, trying to think of something that would have a chance of making this up to him…when it hit her.

She smiled and quickly got to work, keeping an ear out for the boy waking up or coming down the stairs, hoping he wouldn't do so till she had finished…

As luck would have it, she managed to finish her attempts just as she heard him call out for her and his small feet thumping down the stairs.

"Mama?" Pinocchio called as he rubbed his eye, "Mama, it's raining! We'll never be able to…" he trailed off, stopping halfway down and staring at their living room with wide eyes.

Piper smirked at his wide-eyed expression, his mouth hanging open, his hair still stuck up from sleep as he gaped at her, "Oh I do believe we shall," she corrected him, knowing he was about to say they'd never be able to go camping now.

"You…you did all this?" Pinocchio blinked at the scene.

The couch and chairs had been pushed to the walls, everything that had taken up the center of the room was moved to the side, allowing enough space for the tent to be set up, which it was…something he would have complained about her not letting HIM do if it hadn't surprised him so much. The one side of it was open right by their small fireplace, logs already set up on it and waiting to be lit. There was a small tray resting next to the tent with graham crackers on it, chocolate bars and marshmallows too! Their sleeping bags were all rolled out, their flashlights resting to the side, and just…everything set up just as it would have been if they'd been camping.

"Of course," Piper nodded.

"But…why?" he shook his head, stepping down the last few steps to the base of the stairs, still staring. His mother liked order and a bit of neatness, and this…this was a mess, a good one though.

"It is raining," she said simply, "We could not go out to camp, so I thought you would much rather enjoy if the camp were brought to you instead.

Pinocchio let out a breath at that, "You set this up for ME?"

Piper walked over to him, kneeling down to take his hands, knowing what this was. He had had…such a bad experience in this world when he had arrived in it. It seemed, to him, as though no one at all cared for him, would do anything for him. And while she had tried her level best to make sure he knew she always would, as his mother, look out for, care about, and protect him, sometimes it still shocked him what she genuinely DID care about him. He seemed to half expect her to leave him or drop him off at a facility and abandon him, such was his experience in the world. He had told her the children he had left the children's home with had quickly abandoned him a short while after, leaving him alone. It surprised him sometimes when she would do a kind thing for him, he never seemed to expect anything of the sort from this realm.

"I did," she told him, squeezing his hands, "You were so looking forward to this trip, Key, I would not see your heart broken over being unable to experience it," she hesitated a moment, "I know it is not the same thing but…"

Pinocchio lunged forward, hugging her tightly, "It's BETTER," he insisted, squeezing her, "It's so much better, mama," he pulled away, beaming at her, "Thank you."

His smile, the look on his face, the happiness in his eyes would more than make up for when he got marshmallow stuck into the carpet later in his attempt to make her a s'more himself.

~8~

Piper's face was blank as she strode down the halls of some random high school, no it wasn't random, it was just there were so many schools that her son had attended over the years, it became easier to just think of them as a generic school instead of a specified name. She really should have known this particular school though, she had been called in as a substitute teacher for their music program just that morning. She wasn't often called in to sub for a class, but she always filed, wherever she and her son moved, to be a substitute for the music programs of the local schools. It was always an interesting experience, gave her extra money and, sometimes, a chance to observe her son while at school. That was rarer though, seeing Pinocchio as a student, he was growing older and, more often than not, she was called in for the younger students. He would be graduating soon, the end of that school year. They had debated and discussed his plans for after that, whether or not he wanted to attend a college or go on the road more than they'd been able to in the past, to help her find the others, find Emma.

She had refused.

She had reminded him that, if the prophecy about Emma was true and the curse wouldn't be broken for 28 years…they would still have quite a few more years in this realm before they could reunite with their families. They would need a means to survive, HE would need a means to survive if anything happened to her. Oh she had plenty of money, Rumpelstiltskin had seen to that, that she'd be well cared for, and she had already made a 'will' as they called it in this realm, all of it would go to Pinocchio, or Keith Lynn, if she were to pass. But she didn't want him to be idle, she didn't want him to miss anything that this world had to offer him.

She wanted him to go to college…and she knew he really wanted to go as well.

He felt guilty though, that, because of him they had to stay in one place for a period of time. He was required to go to school, or at least be home schooled. Homeschooling wouldn't really work as she only had a general knowledge of the world and wouldn't be able to teach him what he'd need to know to get certain substituting certification for education, nor would she have the time or patience to home school him in the sense of needing to learn what to teach him first. And school would be a good way for him to blend in, learn more about this realm and the people and places in it. He wanted to continue his education, ever since he'd learned that colleges and universities offered further education in literature and English and stories. He wanted to learn all he could about it, having a special fondness for fairytales given their history. But he felt like he wouldn't be able to do what they had done for his younger years of education. They would stay somewhere for a semester, then move, maybe stretch it to a year, but never longer for they were searching for Emma and their families. He wouldn't be able to do that at college, he would need to stay there for three or four years to get his degree…he wouldn't be able to travel as much because of it. And he wanted to help her find the others, so badly.

She insisted he stay though, insisted that she was a grown woman despite how slowly she was aging, that she would be more than capable of searching for the others while he learned. She told him she wanted him to do what made him happy and he wanted to learn.

That wouldn't be for a few more months now though, it may not be ever if she didn't get to the principal's office soon. She'd been in the middle of teaching her last class when she had gotten a call to the classroom phone to come to the office as her son was facing suspension, possibly expulsion. Pinocchio had been suspended for a week or two twice before, once for accidently cutting a woodshop teacher (the man was doing it wrong! He'd explained to her, he was trying to show the teacher the proper way to do something and the man wouldn't let go of the tool and there was a little bloodshed) and another time for getting into an argument with a teacher over, of course, fairytales and the concept of realism vs. fantasy (he hadn't reacted well to their interpretation of his own story). If this wasn't settled without punishment, her son was going to be expelled and if he didn't complete his high school degree, as he had already applied to colleges saying he would complete, he might lose the acceptances he'd gotten to a few already.

She didn't bother to knock as she strode into the principal's office…though she did blink at the sight before her. Her son was sitting in a chair before the principal, a rather old, short man with a laughably bad comb-over, while two other boys sat against the wall, one with an icepack over their eye and the other with a wad of tissues up their nose, both looking as though they'd lost a fight…and it was then she noticed Pinocchio had bruised knuckles.

"Key," she let out a breath and walked over, sitting beside her son to face the principal, "What happened?"

The man sighed, "It appears your son instigated a fight."

Piper narrowed her eyes at that, her son did not instigate anything, it was not his personality, however he WOULD fight in defense, "Did he now?" she raised an eyebrow at that, before turning not to Pinocchio but the other boys, "And what did you say to my son to cause him to 'instigate' a fight?"

"Hold on, now, Ms. Lynn," the principal tried to call her attention back, "The boys did nothing but defend themselves. We have witnesses that your son threw the first punch."

"And I know my boy, Mr. Quinn," she eyed his nameplate, "He does not pick fights unless someone has done something to warrant a punch being thrown. Now I ask you, what did they SAY to my son to cause this?"

The principal blinked, clearly not having thought to ask why the fight even started.

"Key?" she turned to him.

"I don't wanna say," he muttered, crossing his arms and looking down.

"Key," she grew firmer, "Tell me what was said that would cause YOU to attack first. Because I know you, son, and I know it is not in you to fight for no reason."

"I really don't want to say it, mom."

Her lips pursed at that, at how he'd said 'mom,' he usually called her 'mama' no matter if other people were around to hear it, he only said another variation of it if something was really bothering him, if it was something he didn't want to associate with his mama, "What did they say about me?"

The principal leaned forward again, "Now that's a rather large assump…"

"That you were a hot piece of ass they wouldn't mind…" Pinocchio answered, waving his hand in the air and shifting, clearly NOT wanting to say the next words, "You know," he shrugged, "They were talking about you like you were a piece of meat, called you a MILF, and they were just…being disgusting, what they were saying," he looked away, "I wasn't gonna let anyone talk about you like that."

Piper nodded and looked at the principal, "And you expect to put my son into trouble over his defense of his mother?" she eyed the man, who looked honestly startled that the boys had said such a thing, made more clear that they HAD said it in how they were avoiding anyone's gaze, "You would punish him for defending a woman from verbal abuse, instead of reprimanding these boys for their vulgar remarks, which, I do believe are against the etiquette and policies of this school," she continued, she always read what her son would be signing when he entered a new school, the student guidelines and such, "Now, as they broke the guidelines first, I do believe the punishment is moot, for both sides. Unless you wish to teach men that it is acceptable to speak of women in such a manner and also teach others not to try and stop them doing so? Or would you stand idly by as two others said such remarks about YOUR mother?"

Her son did not face expulsion that day, and she hugged him extra tight for how much he cared about her that he would risk it merely to defend her in her absence.

~8~

Piper was starting to think that having a child meant a never ending stream of moments that made you want to cry…if she were the crying sort that is. Tears of happiness to pride to fear to sorrow, children caused all sorts. Right now she felt the sadness though it was mixed with pride. She had hoped that her son would have brought up this latest endeavor of his earlier, given her time to process it, to plan for it, to help him more…but he had surprised her and told her that that was the exact reason he had done what he was planning so quickly. He didn't want any of that.

He appreciated it, he truly did, that she would have wanted to help like that, but he wanted to do this on his own. He had graduated college, had his degree in English that he'd worked for four years for, had gotten through the school on scholarship while also working a small side job to help pay for other little odds and ends like books and things. She had offered to pay for it, but he wanted to see if he could do it on his own, which she applauded and praised him for, seeing him becoming more and more independent.

She regretted that now, as she stood before him in the middle of the airport.

His little side job had made him enough in the last four years that he wanted to take what he'd made and go out on his own, see if he could investigate some odd occurrences over the world, reports of genuine magic, that would help them find Emma and the others. He had managed to get a job with a small travel company which worked out just as well, they helped pay for some expenses. He would write about the beautiful places he was going and, on his day off or so, do some research and investigate the other areas of 'magic' surrounding the locations he was going.

He had tried to make a reasonable argument for it, for leaving so soon after graduating. If he told her too soon, she might try to talk him out of splitting up (his one argument that they'd cover more ground apart than together, might find the others sooner if they were both looking in different places…and he was old enough to go out on his own without his mother tagging along, though that last one was more a tease than him trying to be hurtful). If he told her too soon she might try to help take control of it and…he wanted to do this on his own. If he told her too soon she would help and he wanted to be able to do something to help instead.

All his life in this realm, she had been taking care of him, she had been making the money, supporting them both, searching for the others while he was in school, having to divide her time between searching and taking care of him. It was HIS turn now to contribute and he wanted to. It was the first time since he'd been in that realm that he felt confident and mature enough to go out on his own and really help her, to search like she had been, in new places she hadn't been able to go to while taking care of him. He didn't doubt he would get into trouble along the way, go a bit too wild without her around to check him, but…it was his life and it was time to see what the world had made him into. So long as he kept an eye out for Emma or the others, dug a little deeper in some places…if he had fun too then what was the harm?

He just…wanted to see what the world had to offer and really, he was only able to do this because she had raised him to be a strong, confident, travel-savvy man. And now he was older, he was stronger and more capable, he was going to help her find the others too. He'd been stuck in school for so long, only having summer to really help her look, but now he was free to explore more, travel farther, and really DO something…and he was excited.

Piper took a breath as she looked at her son, "I do not like this," she muttered.

He couldn't help but chuckle at that, "I know," he told her, teasingly rolling his eyes, "You've said it 196 times since I told you about my plans. Impressive as that was only 2 days ago."

She pursed her lips at that, making his chuckles die off, "I am being serious Key."

"I know," he sighed, reaching out to take her hand, "I know mama, but I have to do this. All my life you've taken care of me and I know that it meant putting off our search. You weren't able to search as much as you could have without me there. Please," he gave her a pleading look, "Let me make up for that now, with this. I CAN do this mama, I want to help."

"I know," she mimicked, "I just…you are my son, Key. You are my little boy."

"I'm not so little anymore," he joked, before growing serious, knowing he was about to say something that might hurt her but…it had to be said, "You're searching for your cousin, mama, I'm…my papa's out there too. I want to find him as much as you do her. I…I miss him," he looked down, shifting a bit, something he'd picked up from her, "I don't…even if we find them, he won't remember me, will he?" he looked at her, "He'll look right through me and I…if Emma does break the curse, he still won't now me. Because I grew up while he was frozen. He won't know who I am anymore…and I'm not even sure I remember him all that much either," he admitted quietly.

Piper reached out to touch his cheek, making him look at her, "It was years ago, Key," she reminded him, "You were but a boy, you were with him such a short time…"

He nodded at that, he had been a puppet for a little while, run off, and returned to his father for such a short time before the Dark Curse was coming. He probably barely got a year with his father, and it HAD been many years, more than a decade, since he'd even seen the man. The only thing that helped keep him alive in his mind was talking to his mother about the man, telling stories, drawing pictures…he'd become quite proficient an artist in his attempts to have something to remember his father's face in. But he just…he wanted to find his father, prove to himself that he hadn't forgotten the man completely, that he could still recognize the man that had made him and loved him and wanted to save him.

"Yeah," he let out a breath, "I was little then, and now I'm grown," he looked back at her, smiling sadly, "YOU helped me grow mama, and now I'm big and strong," he laughed a bit, "And now I can go out on my own and I can help YOU for once. I want to," he reached up to the hand on his face and gently tugged it off, holding it in his hand instead, "I want to be able to do this, to find them, to help you get back to your family just as much as I want to see my papa again. Your cousin's out there, and so is your true love, and…who knows, maybe I'll find my own true love on this trip," he let out a little laugh at that, he hadn't found his true love yet, but he wasn't going to give up hope just yet."

"Perhaps you will," Piper went along with it, "I expect an invitation to the wedding," she pointed at him warningly, "Do not dare think for a moment that I would not hunt you down and find some way to turn you into wood and set fire to you myself if you go and get married without me there."

He let out a hardly laugh at that. It was an old 'threat,' one that wasn't really a threat. When he had been younger, when she'd first started to adopt him, he'd tried to test her, to see if she REALLY loved him as much as she claimed, he'd been a right terror to her for a short while, seeing if she would get rid of him, or if she'd still want to keep him. When she had a particularly short temper or he got her truly furious she would threaten to find a way to turn him back to wood and turn him into a torch. It never worked to intimidate him then, nor did it now, because the fact that she said it meant that she still wanted him around even then, she would need him around long enough to find such a method…and in a world like this there was NO way to do that, so it meant she just…wanted him around.

"I won't," he promised, crossing his heart, "I wouldn't ever get married without my mother there," he joked, "I mean…well…so long as I don't get drunk in Vegas again…"

"Again?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Joking," he reassured her, looking back over his shoulder when he heard an announcement for his flight, that it was boarding, he was off to England as his first official stop, going to snoop around for some potential magical areas the country was said to possess, "That's me…" he murmured, sad to leave her but excited at the same time.

Piper nodded and stepped closer, reaching up to wind her arms around him, hugging him tightly, "Call me when you land," she told him quietly, an edge of worry in her voice.

He gave her an extra squeeze at that, "I will," he promised, "I'll keep in touch, mama, I promise."

She nodded, pulling away, "If you do not…"

"I know, I know, you'll jump on a plane and hunt me down," he smiled at her, leaning in to kiss her cheek, "I'll call you soon," he nodded as he pulled away, "Love you mama."

"I love you too, Key," she swallowed hard, taking a deep breath as she watched him walk away, giving her a small wave before he disappeared through the doors to board the plan and begin his first adventure without her.

~8~

Pinocchio groaned as he reached his small hotel room in Hong Kong, wincing as he limped over to his bed, sitting down heavily onto the edge of the bed and hunching over, dropping his head into his hands, shaking it. He tried to breathe through the pain that was racing through him from his leg. It was nearly unbearable, something he hadn't felt since he was a child and even then it hadn't been this agonizing. He wasn't sure if it was just because he was older or if it was because this shouldn't be able to happen in a land without magic, maybe it hurt more because of that, because it was happening despite that.

He let out a breath and looked up when his phone rang.

He winced, moving to the side to pull it from his pocket, not even bothering to look at the ID, there was only one person that had his number anyway, only one person that was the reason he had the phone in the first place.

"Hey mama," he greeted.

"Key…are you well?"

He nearly let out a chuckle at that, did in fact, though his breath caught in his throat at the end at the genuine concern in her voice. He was expecting her call, she always checked in with him every other day to make sure he was doing well or needed anything.

"Actually, mama…" he sighed, glancing at his leg, reaching out for it with a hand and tugging up his pant leg to look at the wooden limb where his leg should be, "I'm not," his voice broke.

"What is it? What happened?"

"I um…" he swallowed hard, "I want to come home," he told her, "I um…it's something I don't want to say over the phone, it's um, it's something I just…I need my mother for."

"I am wiring you money now," she told him, "Come home, Key, and we shall handle this together."

He nodded, tears in his eyes at her reassurances, not knowing how on earth his mother would be able to help with the fact that he was slowly turning back into wood…but just wanting his mother.

Mothers made everything better.

A/N: Lol, I couldn't not have some Piper-August memories after she got him back ;)

Some notes on reviews...

We'll have to wait and see if Regina joins in on the revenge plot ;)

That could be why it happened in the show. But here Gold is mourning his son a little healthier with Piper around, Piper didn't banish him so he's not suffering that heartache, and he managed to separate himself from the dagger much earlier ;) So the reason for his heart affecting him won't be 100% the same here as in the show. I can say that Snow is quite a large part for why Gold is suffering it now }:) But thank you! :) And that's awesome ;) Yay for Geminis! :)

I think some people in the show expect that they can get away with lying to Emma because she trusts them. Sort of like...her superpower only works if she's actively looking to see if someone's lying to her. If she trusts someone she won't be listening or feeling for a lie and may not notice, or if she does feel something she might just think she's paranoid because they'd 'never' lie to her :( Which is almost worst than lying in general, lying because you know someone trusts you enough to not question your lie :'(

Yup, August will have all his memories from when he was Pinocchio ;)

I can say we'll see a hint of Gold's care/concern for August very soon ;)

We'll have to wait and see what happened in New York }:)

Thank you, it went well, the other employees were all very kind and welcoming :) I'm glad you enjoyed those parts :) We'll have to wait and see what happened in New York though }:) Emma will find out very soon that Piper's back...and may be more angry her parents kept it from her than that Piper's with the Queens of Darkness ;) We'll find out in a few chapters what happened with Rose and the people ;) I don't think it would be bad for Ilayda to have gained their trust, though the people probably would have felt like if they trust her, then they wouldn't question some things she does, and what if she does something bad/dark/evil? To her they can't quite get past her being a dark creature :( I could see Howard in a love-hate relationship very easily lol ;) And the sneak peek was lovely, you can really feel how sad/angry/hurt she is :( I hope he doesn't lose his memory too, I don't think anyone wants to see cowering, weak Rumple the spinner who has no clue why everyone wants to kill him, I'd rather see cunning, clever Mr. Gold pre-curse broken being able to still manipulate and protect himself even without his magic :)

I hate tumblr sometimes :( I had the link set in my queue to post incase I wasn't able to get on tumblr and when I went to my queue because I saw your review and was like 'it should have been up though...' it wasn't there :( I think my queue ate it :( I'm going to manually post it the next time I'm on tumblr, likely tonight ;)


	28. Poor Unfortunate Soul

Poor Unfortunate Soul

Piper smiled as she quickly fixed a cup of hot chocolate for August in the back room of the cabin. It had been…tearful, seeing him restored, seeing that he KNEW her, he remembered her, he still saw her as his mother. She had settled him down, asked him to trust her when he spotted the other 'villains' that surrounded them, and gone to make him a hot chocolate, wanting to get him settled before she explained everything to him…and perhaps needing a moment to settle her nerves. Her stomach was churning at everything that had happened in the last few hours, all the anxiety, the worry for him, having to tell Henry the truth about everything that happened and everything they were planning. It was a lot to take in and a lot to delve into in such a short time and she knew she was going to have to do the same exact thing with August now.

It would be, likely, FAR worse a discussion than the one she had with Henry, more emotional. She loved Henry dearly, she truly did, but half the things they told him they had had to tone down in terms of how bad it truly was. And even then he still seemed furious from the PG version of events. August was her son, he was her grown son, and he knew her as well as she did him. He knew when she was lying just like she knew when he was, he would be able to tell when she wasn't being fully honest with him and he always had a way of getting the truth out of her. She didn't doubt this would be one of those moments…

And the truth, telling him exactly what happened since he'd been turned into a boy again? It would be…deep and painful…and if she knew her son, he would be furious.

At Snow White.

She would likely have to hold him down or tie him to a chair to keep him from going after the woman for the pains she'd caused, both intentional and unintentional, from curse or reality, knowingly or ignorantly. Her son loved her and he would want to protect her from every hurt, to find out that all this happened while he had been a boy, unknowing of who she was or who she was to him, it would hurt him and it would make him want to make up for it, she knew.

The spell, Gold had warned her, would take a lot out of him. He would barely be able to stand or walk a few feet without it taking more out of him till he'd recovered more. She would NOT let her son hurt himself over her.

And, speaking of harm, she tensed as she heard Ursula speaking in the other room, "Perhaps you could use a little incentive…"

August scoffed, "Oh, that knife is not gonna make me talk."

Her grip on the cup tightened as she turned to storm into the other room, when Regina chimed in, "Wait…"

"Is there a problem?" Ursula demanded.

"I knew she'd never the stomach for this," Cruella muttered disdainfully.

"Please," Regina sneered, "I was torturing people back when you were still playing with puppies. This sorry excuse for a man used to be made of wood. So let's light a fire under him and see what happens…"

"You do that," Piper pushed the door open and walked in, not even glancing at the fireball in Regina's hand, "And you four shall be bleeding out your ears before you can blink."

"As though you would risk affecting the boy or the Dark One over a puppet," Maleficent rolled her eyes, not intimidated by the threat at all.

"Oh, she won't have to risk it," Gold agreed, moving to stand behind August's chair, ignoring how the man tensed slightly at the action, "You harm him…you answer to ME."

The women glanced at each other, startled at that, at the dark promise in his words. Even August seemed shocked as he glanced up at Gold. Only Piper seemed to know that he would say such a thing, merely handing the hot chocolate to August as she smirked and stood on Gold's other side, though she placed her hand on August's shoulder.

"This 'puppet' is my SON," Piper reminded them, "And I know at least two of the four of you understand what a mother would do to protect her child."

Maleficent looked away at that, though Regina's lips pursed.

Gold gave a small chuckle, "Pip is my true love," he added, "This is her son. That means he is as good as my son by association," August nearly choked on his beverage at that, coughing into his elbow, "Attack him and _I_ will be the one to end you. Allies or not."

Piper subtly reached out and took Gold's hand behind August's chair, knowing that it was very much true, he would defend August against the women to his dying breath, because he knew how important August was to her and he…he genuinely HAD come to care about him beyond just that. But she also knew that there was a small part of her that hoped it wouldn't come to that. As much as she would rather enjoy seeing him play the role of her dark knight again, she knew large feats of magic would weaken him, cause him more pain than what he was already feeling and trying to hide.

She had spoken of August, told him all about her son while in New York. They had first gone to Baelfire's apartment to try and gather his belongings, to take them with them to a new place…and found his apartment occupied. But that wasn't the point, the point was they had talked many times about both their sons, just as she had come to care for Baelfire and think of him as a son even before she'd met him, Gold had come to think the same about August, even about Pinocchio, from her stories. He saw the boy for what he would have been, a future son to him if events had played out differently, if the blasted Blue Fairy hadn't turned him back into a boy.

He did care about August, even more now that it was truly him, memories and all, a living breathing man once again.

"Well then HOW are we supposed to get this information you said he'd have out of him?" Ursula crossed her arms.

"I do believe it is called talking," Piper shot back, "It can be remarkably effective when one is not intimidated."

"Talking?" Cruella scoffed at that, "Torture is faster."

"Yes, it is," Piper agreed, "And I AM so very curious how long YOU would last against my torture. I would be willing to wager you would break faster than the animals you control."

Cruella glared at her, opening her mouth to challenge her, when Gold held up a hand, silencing the two Queens of Darkness, Regina and Maleficent seeming to have understood Piper's words about a mother and child and kept quiet, "Enough of that," Gold chastised Cruella.

"Yes," Piper nodded, "Enough of this, you four," she looked at the other women, "Get yourselves gone. Leave my son to me."

"Go," Gold ordered, "Continue with the rest of the plan while you're at it."

"Rest of the plan?" Regina glanced at them, "What aren't you telling me?"

Gold just shook his head, "You're gonna have to do a lot more than just kidnap a marionette and torch a few cars for us to tell you everything," he tsked, "In the meantime, be content that you've finally chosen the winning side. Now, Maleficent," he glanced at her, "If you would be so kind as to fill Regina in on the next step?"

"With pleasure," Maleficent nodded, turning to lead Regina out of the cabin, Cruella and Ursula glaring at Piper and Gold as they left.

"Mama…" August began, finishing his drink and setting it on the ground, "I'm getting the feeling I'm missing something pretty big," he glanced at his mother, "Like you and Gold being in league with other villains again?"

"Oh Key," Piper sighed, moving to sit in the armchair next to his, "You have missed…quite a few things."

"Well," he tried to smile, "I do love a good story."

Piper nodded slowly at that, before taking a breath and beginning her tale.

~8~

"Damn it!" Emma cursed, the words ringing through the apartment as she slammed down the covering of the heating grate in Mary Margaret's bedroom section of the room, "It's gone!"

"What?!" David hurried over, checking himself, but it was true, the Dark One's dagger was missing.

"That's impossible," Mary Margaret breathed.

"Truly?" Hook looked between them, "THAT's where you hid it?" he shook his head, "It's hardly effective. If you wanted to hide a treasure, a pirate would have been your best course of action."

"You tried to stab Gold once before," Emma pointed out, "I wasn't going to give you something that would actually kill him."

"What, trust me so little, Swan?"

"With Gold's life, yes."

"Maybe it would have been a good thing," David muttered, his mind racing with what Gold and Piper could be up to, what they might be planning against his wife.

"Hey," Emma sent him a glare, "He was already banished, ok, and Aunt P was devastated, you really want to consider killing him?"

Apparently Gold was back in Storybrooke. They'd been trying to find Regina last night after she gave her the slip and a sort of fog of magical smoke had surrounded Mary Margaret. Regina warned them that August had been restored to his adult self and that Gold was back. It was odd though, because Regina seemed to hesitate in telling them that part. She'd looked at David, as though considering something before saying it. She hadn't said a word about Piper though. THAT was worrying her, that Piper hadn't been mentioned. There were a few reasons she could come up with for why Gold would have partnered with the Queens of Darkness. The first was obvious, Mary Margaret HAD betrayed him, betrayed Piper, in pushing him over the town line, condemned him, and why wouldn't someone want revenge against that? She could understand he was angry at Mary Margaret, not going about it in the best way, but she had cut Piper deeply with what she'd done…and that was the other part. Piper. If Piper wasn't there…what did that mean? Had something happened to the woman? If so…there was no force on Earth that would stop Gold taking revenge against Mary Margaret for it.

If something happened to Piper outside of Storybrooke because her mother banished the woman's true love (and really she couldn't imagine anyone NOT going with their true love)…she wasn't sure SHE would stand between the two sides either. If something happened to her Aunt P because of Mary Margaret's actions, she truly didn't think she'd want to stop Gold for the right reasons. She'd stop him because 'she was a hero' and that's what they did, but she wouldn't have her heart in it, she wouldn't do it because Mary Margaret was her mother and should be protected and she shouldn't want any harm to befall her.

She shook her head, she had to just focus on hope right now, hope that nothing had happened to Piper.

"Banishment was too good for that demon," Hook agreed with David, "We _should_ have driven that dagger through his heart when we had the chance."

"Then your name would be written across it," Emma pointed out.

"It's a small price to pay to ensure the Crocodile wouldn't come back again."

"I know you're angry, but, like it or not," she focused more on her parents for that one, "Gold IS family. He's my son's grandfather, he's my aunt, YOUR cousin's, true love," she glanced at Hook, "He's family to ME. We are NOT killing him. End of discussion."

"Fine," Mary Margaret let out a little huff, making Emma's lips purse, not sure if the woman was huffing at being ordered around or ordered not to kill the man, "The question now is, how do we stop him? We don't even know what he's planning."

"First, we save August," David declared.

"Yeah," Hook nodded, "You do that. I'll find out the Dark One's secret."

"How are you gonna do that?"

"The sea witch," Hook looked at Emma, "Ursula. Remember when I said I had a past with her? Now's the time to use it."

"How?" Emma frowned.

"By taking a page out of your book, Swan. I'm gonna return her happy ending."

Emma seemed hesitant at that, "Can you really do that?"

"Aye," he sighed, "Because I'm the one who took it from her in the first place."

Emma nodded slowly at that, she had wanted to know what he'd done in his past. At least now he seemed to want to be honest about it, "You go deal with Ursula, we'll try and get August away from Gold."

If something HAD happened to Piper…she liked to think that Gold wouldn't do anything to hurt the man she saw as a son…but another part of her knew what it was like to go to a dark place after losing someone you loved. She…hadn't exactly been the best person after she got out of jail, Neal's betrayal, giving up her child, it left her in a bad place. She'd crawled out of it, fought her way to where she was today, but Gold? With magic? And heartbreak and revenge in him? She didn't want to risk August over her faith in Gold.

And even if it wasn't gold, there were three other Queens of Darkness around him. And one was a fire-breathing dragon, she doubted that worked well with a former-wooden boy.

~8~

"And that is why we returned," Piper finished telling August, recounting everything he had missed relevant to why she and Gold were back in Storybrooke, why they were searching for the Author. She left out the details of her interactions with him in Storybrooke, knowing he would be more curious and concerned what she was doing with the Queens of Darkness instead, why she had seemed to turn against Snow White.

August shook his head and leaned forward, hugging her tightly, tears in his eyes, "It's all my fault."

Piper blinked at that, pulling away, "Key, it was in NO way your fault," she told him, "It would be impossible for it to be. You were but a boy again, you were not involved and…"

"And that's why," August insisted, Gold giving Piper a small nod of the head before he stepped into the back room, giving them privacy, "I should have been there, I should never have been turned into a boy again."

"I would rather you a boy than dead," Piper whispered.

"I would rather be your son than not," August insisted, "And I wasn't a good son. I…I didn't protect you, mama. You protected me, even when you didn't have to, even when my papa was around, you still kept me safe during the second curse and…and the Shattered Sight and…"

"You remember that?" Piper breathed, startled.

He nodded, smiling sadly at her, "Just cause the boy doesn't remember being me doesn't mean I don't remember being the boy. I'm sorry the boy didn't remember you," he reached out and took her hand, "I should have been there for you mama. Defended you or stopped Snow White or…or been there in New York or…"

"Key," she cut in gently, "I do not blame you. The Blue Fairy took your memories," she would assume that was the price of magic used to save him, "You had no hand in it, no choice. I am just glad that you still live."

"I am sorry though, mama," August continued, "You…you were hurt, so much and if I'd just BEEN there. No one would have dared doubt you because I wouldn't let them. I know you better than…than probably even Gold," he joked lightly, knowing Gold may love her more, but HE knew how she was now in this world, "I've been with you for more than 20 years, I know what you're like and it just…how could they?" he started to get angry now, "How could they doubt you? How could Snow White DO that to you? She's your cousin, mama," he shook his head, unable to comprehend how Snow White could misunderstand her cousin so badly.

"It appears she has changed," Piper murmured, "Or perhaps I am just seeing the truth in how she has always been. What she did to Emma," she let out a breath, "Because of ME? What does that mean for how she viewed me all those years?" she sighed, glancing up at August, "Key…" she squeezed his hand, "You understand what I must do, what a siren requires in an event like this."

He nodded, "I do."

"I need you to help me," she told him quietly, "I know it may be too much to ask of you, that what it would require would mean…turning against the heroes in a way, but…"

"You're my mother," August cut in gently, "I'm on your side first and always, no matter what, you will always have my loyalty above anyone that hurts you," he squeezed her hand, "Tell me what you need."

"We need to know all that you've gathered about the Author," Gold's voice spoke as he stepped into the room.

"Your father gave me your notes and scraps," Piper added, "The ones that look like the storybook. But we have not had the time to thoroughly examine them. And we have not the time to do so now."

August looked between them and nodded.

~8~

Emma was out the door of her father's pickup truck before it even came to a full stop in the woods, her parents hurrying to get out and follow her on, "Gold's cabin's up ahead," she called, "We go on foot from here."

"Anything from Hook?" Mary Margaret asked, glancing at Emma, but the blonde shook her head. She sighed, turning to her husband instead, "Think he's managed to turn Ursula yet?"

"If she hasn't turned him," David muttered.

"Really?" Emma scoffed, getting a little tired of all the distrust and worst thoughts being sent out from the 'greatest heroes' of the kingdom, "We're thinking that now? I would have thought you'd learned from what you did to Gold to give someone a chance first."

She didn't even blink as her mother flinched.

"Well, he kind of went to a dark place this morning," David defended.

"Do you blame him?" Emma huffed, "And really, didn't you do the same thing to Piper? Shove a metaphorical dagger in her heart when you banished her true love?"

"Emma!" Mary Margaret nearly groaned, "I thought we were past that!"

"No," Emma rounded on them, "We're not. You two are all about family and how we stand together and we don't give up on each other, how we always find each other. And then you turn your back on that and banish Gold, drive Aunt P away, and now that he's back, you're not even concerned why Piper isn't?" she looked between them, shaking her head at them though they glanced at each other, "If you're willing to turn you back on that notion, what else are you willing to look past for the 'greater good?'"

She frowned as she saw them wince at that last question.

"We're heroes Emma," Mary Margaret defended, though it sounded like a weaker argument, "We will always do what's necessary for good to win."

"You know, substitute 'me' from 'good' and you've basically got a 'villain's' mentality," she turned on her heel, not giving them a chance to comment, "Come on. Gold might not hurt a kid, but he's not exactly alone. And if a woman could want to make a fur coat out of puppies, imagine what she'd do to a wooden boy."

~8~

"The notes aren't all my own," August told the two of them quietly, "When I was in Hong Kong, before the curse broke," he looked at his mother, Piper nodding as she understood he meant when Emma started to break it, when he began to turn to wood, "I met a mystic. His name was 'The Dragon.' I don't know how he knew about the book, but he had been looking for the Author for years. Tamara killed him," he sighed, "I found his body, didn't know it was her at the time, but…I saw his notes there, his research about the book and the Author. And I studied it."

"What did it say?" Piper inquired.

"The Sorcerer trapped the Author behind a door," August began, "There was a picture of it, a page from the book that I took out and put in the rest of the notes. It was um…" he frowned, trying to think of it, not having seen it in…quite some time, "Made of wood, hand carved frame, gilt in gold…it's in Storybrooke."

"Where?" Gold asked.

"Wherever my notes are," August turned to Piper.

"I gave them to Henry."

He nodded, "The paper isn't just a picture of the door, the door on the page IS the door he's trapped behind."

Piper let out a long breath at that, looking up at Gold, "We cannot tell the others about that. They will target Henry."

Gold nodded, "I'll tell them that we found where the Author is trapped, that we have to find a unique door. The Sorcerer's Mansion should have enough doors to keep them busy for quite a while, long enough to contact Henry about it and have him find the page, yes?"

Piper smiled at him, taking his hand, "Many thanks Rummy," he squeezed her hand back, "I shall stay with August, will you be…"

"Yes," he cut in gently, leaning down to give her a quick kiss, "You rest here, I can handle the Queens just fine for the moment."

August and Piper were quiet as they watched Gold step out of the cabin, "He really does love you," August smiled at his mother.

"He does," Piper smiled in return, "As I do him," she glanced at August, "As I do you as well, son."

August looked at her a long while, his smile growing sadder, "Do you think your plan will really work?"

Piper sighed, "I hope it does," she murmured, "There is far too much at stake for it to fail."

~8~

Emma hesitated before the door to the cabin in the woods, not sure what traps might rest on the other side. She and her parents had been staking it out…and seen Gold leave after summoning Cruella, Maleficent, and Regina to him. That meant that August would be inside, alone…which had to be too easy, it had to be a trap, magically booby-trapped or something. So she'd insisted she go in alone, even if her parents seemed tense and very much against it. The way they were acting and shifting, she almost would have thought they didn't want her to go inside because of who was in there, but it was just August! And they needed to get him out.

So she took a breath, lifted her hands incase there was some sort of magic about to attack her, and blasted the door open.

"Hello Emma."

Emma froze the second she stepped into the cabin at that particular voice, the door shutting behind her from the force of her opening it and bouncing it against the wall.

"Aunt P?" she breathed, gaping at the woman, her eyes wide as she took Piper in.

She was dressed in dark blue, almost a midnight shade, a sort of tunic style shirt with dark black leggings and her typical boots. She seemed pale, tired, but was smiling…as she sat right next to August, who didn't seem in danger or harmed at all.

"What…"

Piper sighed, but nodded as though she'd expected such a reaction, "I assume my dear cousin told you not that I was back?"

Emma blinked at that, "Mary Margaret knew?!"

"David as well," Piper agreed, "I hope you shall forgive me not telling you myself. I was curious to see if they would be truthful and honest with you. It appears they were not."

"Yeah, I'm getting the feeling they haven't been truthful about a lot of things," she muttered, thinking back to how Regina had acted while getting a message through Mary Margaret, how she had hesitated to tell them Gold was there, how she looked at David first…Regina knew, she had to know that Piper was there…and she hadn't said. And now her suspicions about her parents being the masterminds behind Regina's undercover mission were confirmed. There was no reason for Regina to hide that fact, unless Mary Margaret and David wanted it hidden, and for them to want it hidden, they had to have known about it before Regina went undercover.

"Oh far more than you know," Piper mused, though she didn't reveal what those other things were. Now was not the time, not the place, and as much as she would LOVE to be the one to tell Emma what her parents had done…she knew enough to know Emma needed to hear it from THEM. If anyone else told her what they'd done, she would find some way to defend them, to deny it, even if she trusted that person to tell her the truth, she wouldn't want to believe it.

No, Snow White would have to tell her daughter herself about what she'd done.

And really, that sort of agony would be something Snow deserved to bear.

Emma frowned at that, but shook her head, "I'm here for August."

"He is free to leave whenever he wishes," Piper told her, "I have sworn that to him since he was a child."

"August?" Emma looked at him.

"I know what you must be thinking Emma," August began, "But trust me, there's WAY more going on than you know. And right now, Snow White is the LAST person I want to be near."

"She's not going to hurt you for helping her," Emma nodded at Piper.

"No, I'm worried I'LL hurt HER."

"Why would you…"

"Emma," Piper sighed, "Your parents have lied to you about a great many things. And the actions of Snow White have caused far more damage and danger than you have yet to understand."

"Then explain it to me," Emma demanded, "Because, from where I'm standing, the person I've been defending the last 2 months seems to be working for the bad guys."

"There is not enough time to explain, Emma," Piper began, holding up a hand to stop her speaking, "Your parents are outside, yes?" Emma nodded, "I give them barely another minute before they come charging in here. And I will not be held accountable for what I may do to Snow White if she confronts me now. Speak to Henry," she added, "He knows the truth, about everything."

"What…Henry?" Emma shook her head, "You spoke to Henry?"

"Quite often," Piper agreed, "He seemed the only one clever enough to realize I do, in fact, have a cell phone and called me while I was outside Storybrooke."

"I don't…"

"Emma," August cut in, "I know you're confused, and I know you have a lot of questions," he winced as he stood, Piper standing with him to steady him, "But you can't ask now. Trust me, it's better if…if you just 'rescue' me and ask me later, in private, than to risk your parents coming in here."

Piper nodded, helping August walk over to Emma, "Take August with you," she told the woman, "He has had…an experience," she smiled softly at her son as he gave her a grim smile back, being restored to his adult, human self had taken a lot out of him, "He needs to rest and he will be more likely to achieve that in an actual house than a cabin shared between six others."

Emma looked at August, seeing how weary and weak he really was, and sighed, "This isn't over," she warned her aunt, "I want answers."

"And you shall have them," Piper promised, "Whether or not you shall like them is another matter entirely."

Emma's lips pursed at that, but she reached out and took August's arm, helping to lead him to the door, "I'm glad I didn't have to wait 20 years to see you as you again," she mumbled to the boy as they stepped out of the cabin…only to see her parents doing exactly as Piper had predicted and making their way towards the cabin at a determined march, something that broke into a concerned run when they saw August.

"Me too," August grunted.

"August!" Mary Margaret gasped, reaching out to help him.

"Don't touch me!" he yanked his arm away from her, stumbling into Emma, shocking them all at the sheer venom in his voice, "Neither of you touch me," he glared at the royal duo.

"Guys just…back off," Emma murmured to her parents, not sure what Piper could have possibly told August to get a reaction like that out of him but…feeling like whatever the man had been told was…was actually the truth. August could spot a liar as easily as she could, came with being one himself. He would NOT be reacting like this if what Piper told him was a lie…

Which just made her even more suspicious of what her parents were keeping from her…

~8~

Emma frowned as she saw Hook enter Mary Margaret's apartment later that night, the man seeming deeply troubled about something. Henry was sitting over by August as he laid on a couch, recovering, while David and Mary Margaret were taking care of Neal. She'd gotten a call from Hook before, telling her that he had succeeded in giving Ursula back her happy ending, that the woman had been reunited with her father and that he'd also restored a singing voice to her that he'd taken many years ago. He'd managed to catch up to the woman while she'd been on her way back to the cabin which was lucky for her that Ursula hadn't made it there, she didn't want to have to confront a sea witch on top of dealing with her siren-aunt.

"Hook, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing, love," he tried to smile, though her eyes narrowed, hearing the lie in his voice, "Just…Ursula."

She nodded, that was the truth at least, "You said gave Ursula everything she wanted."

"But I almost didn't," he admitted, "I was so desperate to figure out what the Crocodile was up to, I almost became the man I used to be. You have no idea how easy it is to fall back into the darkness."

"Well you started to make amends today, with Ursula."

"Aye. But it's a stark reminder of something."

"What?"

"With all this talk of authors and the book, we've never discussed one fact I was a villain."

"Yes, you were," Emma nodded, "And you're trying not to be anymore."

"But I still AM," Hook muttered, "Regina is trying not to be as well and she still lost her happy ending. If we're to believe the rules of the book, then it's only a matter of time before I lose mine."

"Wait," Emma frowned, confused, "If you're afraid of losing your happy ending, that means you found it. What is it?"

Hook looked at her softly, "Don't you know, Emma?" he whispered, stepping closer to her, "It's you."

Emma blinked at that…and stepped back. She should be touched, she knew, that she made someone that happy that they felt she was their happy ending. But…the way he was looking at her, gazing at her, it was like…it was her. Literally her, her being with him, that would be his happy ending. And it just…

"And Henry?" she found herself asking before she even realized it.

"What about the boy?" Hook frowned, confused.

Emma let out a breath at that, shaking her head as she looked away. Her son was an important, a monumentally important, part of her life…and Hook hadn't even considered him in the equation of happiness, had he? It was her, it was Emma, it wasn't anything else.

And really, how bad was that that it WAS her? If she died? If she broke his heart? If she ended their relationship? What then? Would he fall back to his villainous ways just because she turned him down? If Piper was right…he'd done just that, during the missing year, he'd gone right back to being a pirate, abandoned the others, just because she wasn't there for him to show off how he'd 'changed' around? If she ended this, he would use it as an excuse to return to his life as a villain. He'd proved it just now, that he'd gotten so caught up in NOT wanting to lose her/his happy ending that he'd gone about it like a villain would.

If what they had ended badly, or ended at all…what would that mean for Hook?

What would it mean for her if she felt she HAD to stay with him so he wouldn't fall back into being a villain?

Did it really mean that he'd changed as much as he felt he had if he could so easily revert without her there?

"Emma?" Hook reached out to her, not sure why she wasn't melting into his arms for his confession.

"Not…not now, Hook," she muttered, she had…a lot to think about, she did not want the entire weight of his redemption resting on her, nor should it. His entire life should not be based around her own, but an offshoot of it at the most.

There was a knock on the door, thankfully, keeping Hook from speaking more and Regina peeked her head into the apartment.

"Regina," Mary Margaret greeted as she heard the knock and came to answer, David following with Neal in his arms, "You're ok."

Regina scoffed, "We're lucky he's ok," she nodded at August, stepping into the room more.

August snorted at that, rolling his eyes, "Neither Gold nor Piper would let anything happen to me. I don't know why you're so concerned given YOU were the one holding a fireball to me."

"Regina!" Mary Margaret gasped.

"I was undercover!" Regina huffed.

August shook his head and laid back down, of course she was, did she really think his mother and Gold were that stupid that THEY didn't know either?

"It's ok," Emma felt the need to reassure him, "I promise."

"August," Mary Margaret smiled at him, "We need to know what you know about the Author."

"Well doesn't that just suck to be you then," August smiled mockingly back at her, "I'm not going to tell you jack, Snow White."

Mary Margaret blinked and stepped back at that, startled at his tone, at his words, at his expression.

"Hey…" David stepped up, ready to defend his wife.

"You hurt my mother," August told them, "I'm not going to help you. You want me to talk? Tough."

"We rescued you!"

"I was never in any danger," August informed them, "Which shows just how much you know about your cousin if you thought I ever was," he shot at Mary Margaret, "You are getting nothing out of me."

Mary Margaret and David looked at each other before they turned to walk off.

"August…" Emma began.

"Until you know the truth, Emma," August shook his head, "Until I know I can trust you not to share with THEM," he shot a glare at the retreating heroes, "I'm sorry."

Emma sighed, shaking her head and walking into the kitchen with a huff. Regina seemed to sense he wouldn't tell her anything either and glanced at Emma before she moved to follow, talking quietly to the blonde.

"Operation Bluebird," Henry whispered under his breath.

August looked over at him, a faint smile on his face. He glanced at the others before tapping the picture of the door that Henry had found, that just so happened to be lying on the very top of a pile of papers, "This is the door," he agreed, speaking quietly to Henry, "The Author is trapped inside the book."

"Then we have to get him out," Henry determined, "Aunt P and grandpa are depending on us."

August smiled more at that, relieved that his mother had at least one member of her blood-family that understood her and wanted to do this for her.

She was going to need all the help she could get.

A/N: Sorry this was late! My fault this time, overslept and missed my alarm, updated as soon as I woke up and saw the time lol :)

I sort of wanted to touch on something in this chapter, with Hook's happy ending being Emma. At first, watching the show, I thought 'it's a little sweet' but after that moment passed...it actually disturbed me a bit :( Hook says EMMA is his happy ending. Not Henry, her son, not being a father to him, not being a hero, not making amends for his past crimes, not being part of a family, not being captain of a ship or on the sea or just a general happiness of things Emma brings into his life...JUST Emma. It could be taken that she's a generalizing of everything she represents or brings to his life, but I feel like he would have said Swan, saying Emma seemed more personal and focusing to me. That is a lot of pressure to put on one person to be the entire happy ending of someone else. That is really unhealthy as well to make just ONE person your happy ending. I feel like that was sort of what Regina did with Daniel and we saw how that worked out :( I feel like a lot of characters will say 'you're my happy ending' to someone else, and mean it in a more general sense, of that person sort of leading to a happy ending, a home and happiness and family and good times. I felt, when Hook said it, he was being very literal in how choked up he was getting and how frantic he got to 'protect' Emma (similar to how he reverted to villainous ways when he wanted his hand back for Emma) that it was Emma and Emma alone that was his happy ending. And it rubbed me the wrong way that he completely excluded Henry, her son, in that, even in being a part of Henry's life, having a boy that might be his son one day if his hopes for Emma go through (though, then again, he DID sell his other 'almost son' out to Pan so...yeah...). It was like he considered nothing else but Emma as the entire happy ending he wanted, and nothing else in her life, nothing else she brought to it :( I wanted Emma to sort of touch on that. In this story, she's more aware of the things Hook does to try and get on her good side, she's more suspicious of his intentions regarding her son, and here it WOULD hit her more that Hook is focusing on her and nothing else, not Henry, not her family, not redeeming himself, just her...and it's putting her on edge because if it goes south...it's now on HER that he's become a villain again, which also seemed unhealthy to me to put that guilt and responsibility on someone else. He also spent that entire episode lying and taking the villain's way out behind her back and making one good decision right at the end doesn't negate all the other underhanded and harsh things he did through the rest of the episode :( But that was just my thoughts on that moment in regards to Hook.

Some notes on reviews...

I have a girlfriend in mind for August yup ;) But it won't say who just yet, though I can say we'd definitely see her play out more in the AU I have planned for them yup ;)

I hope we see more of August too in Season 5, and if not, Piper would definitely seek him out a time or two :) We might get a few more flashbacks of August and Piper through the course of the series though :) I did see the promo, it looks very cool :)

Thank you! I fixed it :) Emma's reaction was definitely a little stunned/shock, but once she processes it, she'll definitely have more moments with Piper to come ;) Yup, the people were very prejudiced and suspicious of her just for being what she was instead of considering all the things she'd done for them :( Sounds very interesting ;) I've seen the promos and I'm a little concerned too. I feel like there's so much going on that was bad that they left from Season 4 that they're really going to need some serious work to save the show. I know, personally, certain plots have made me really not want to even watch Season 5, their portrayal of some characters and how easily they're accepting certain really bad events just throws me off from seeing it as even slightly realistic :( I like the show, I want it to continue, but at the same time I'm almost hoping it doesn't go beyond season 5 (and I feel like such a traitor to say that) if it keeps up like it has been :( I would definitely try my best to save it in the stories though :)

We have't gotten to the full scope of what happened to Piper and Gold health-wise yet ;) It was touched on a few chapters back that Gold's heart was failing and weakening them both and forced him to take his own heart back from Piper, but not exactly why it was failing. We'll see that very soon ;)


	29. Baser Instincts

Baser Instincts

Piper smirked inwardly as she gathered a few small belongings into a little pack, hearing the Dark One pacing behind her, commenting quite vocally about why he should be allowed to accompany her on this outing she was preparing to take. Barnem was a small town quite a distance away that had found themselves infested with toads and frogs. They'd originally been infested with flies, and she had offered her services to rid the town of the pests, but the people had refused, claiming they could take care of their own. And oh how they did. Their brilliant thought was to bring in animals that ate flies, the toads and frogs being the animals of choice, however they failed to consider that they should have some way to control the toads and frogs after they'd served their purpose. It was rather marshy, swampy of an area, the toads and frogs had thrived there and caused a worse infestation than the flies had been.

And she'd been summoned, or should she say word of mouth had spread in small whispers that her help would be accepted this time if she were to offer it.

She shouldn't, really. They had turned her down once before, if they could handle themselves then they should be able to handle themselves now as well. She should have sent a missive or message back to them that she refused to tend to them, let them suffer for their shortsightedness in turning her down at the start.

But she was in a rather good mood if she was honest. Only a few days ago she and the Dark One had reached something of an amendment to their original deal. He called her Pip, and now she was allowed to call him 'Rummy' in return. It had put her a smile on her face whenever she thought about how ridiculous it was that the great and powerful Dark One was called 'Rummy' of all things. It was enough to make her chuckle when she thought about it, it made her smile, made a sort of warmth spread through her to know that she was the only one that was or would be allowed to call him such a name. It pleased her to know that was a privilege to her and her alone. And it had made her feel quite a bit lighter about the world and her deals in general. She decided to show mercy this one time, show how…benevolent she could be to those that didn't deserve even a whistle from her lips, and assist the town with their problem.

She wished to do it alone, however, and that was one reason why Rumpelstiltskin himself was pacing behind her, trying to list every reason why he should assist her. The Queen's knights frequented the area near Barnem, it was true, but she planned to be there and leave quickly, the town wouldn't even know she'd be there and by the time word spread she would be long gone. The men could cheat her in the end, try to go back on their deal if one was made, but it had happened enough in the past and she had dealt with it easily enough. She actually hoped, on certain days, with certain people making the deals with her, that they would go back on their word just so she could have a bit of fun in the towns.

Who knew, perhaps one day she would take the children and keep them instead of returning them.

She couldn't let the towns grow soft and not fear that she wouldn't return the children one day.

"Rummy," she smiled, turning to face him, "All shall be well. It is a mere deal, a trifle, truly."

Rumpelstiltskin pursed his lips at that, "It is a league away," he reminded her, "And you wish to trek there?"

"I wish to journey there, yes."

"It will take you hours, Pip. Hours of walking and that is hours you aren't here with me," he blinked, seeming to realize what he'd said, "Cleaning my castle," he added quickly, "Attending your chores…"

"It WAS our agreement that I would still be permitted to see to my deals," she reminded him, knowing she'd had him trapped with that, knowing he couldn't use her duties in his castle over the agreed upon terms for her having those duties.

"You would be travelling through the woods where bandits dwell, animals, the Black Knights," he shook his head, seeing her about to argue that she could handle all of them, "It is too far away for the deal to be feasible," he continued, "Whatever they would pay you for riding them of their plague, it would not be worth the travel and time to get there."

He smirked as though he'd caught her with a reason not to go.

But she returned the smirk, stepping closer to him, "I was hoping I might beg a modicum of assistance from the Dark One."

His eyes narrowed, "You wish me to go in your place? Done."

She chuckled, reaching out to gently grab his wrist as he moved to bring his hand up, clearly about to make himself disappear in a swirl of red smoke as he so loved to do, to travel there and see to the frogs himself, "No," she shook her head, glancing at his wrist in her hands, tilting her head at how she felt his heartrate pick up just under her fingers, before focusing back on him, "I was speaking of the travel."

"I am not giving you a horse," he countered, it would still take too long.

"I was speaking of your magic," she clarified, finding it a little amusing how much he didn't seem to want her to go, "If you could, perhaps, transport me within distance of the town, and a way to return, I would be able to attend to them and be back within the hours it would take me just to travel there," she eyed him a moment at his silence, "Unless the Dark One is unable to create such magic…"

He lifted his other hand, a small compass appearing in his hand in a swirl of red smoke which he handed to her, "Point this in the direction of the town and speak its name, and this compass shall take you to its gates. Repeat the process with the Dark Castle and you shall be returned."

She nodded at that, "And you do not fear I shall not return?"

He giggled at that, "Besides the fact we have a deal that you would not flee from my service," his gaze flickered to her hand and back, "You've yet to release my arm," he smirked as she quickly did that, not seeming to have realized she'd still been holding onto him all that time, "If you are that keen to hold onto me, Pip, I doubt you'd run from me later."

She shook her head at that and turned, moving to the window to check the direction of the sun for clarification on which way to turn. She smiled finding the right direction, "I shall not be long," she remarked.

"You had better not be," he warned, glancing out the window, it was just after noon from the sun, "I give you to sundown, Piper."

"Then I had best not be late," she smirked, "I know you get rather cranky without dinner."

He opened his mouth to retort to that but she had already spoken the town's name and disappeared in a flash of red light. He let out a huff at that, turning to stalk out towards his dungeon, thinking if there was anyone that had a debt outstanding. He needed to torture someone, he needed something to distract him. This was the first deal Piper was taking since he'd…since he'd called her Pip. And it just felt like there was something…more…between them since he'd given her that nickname. He didn't know what it was, but the thought of her going off, so far away, without him…

He needed to torture someone.

~8~

The Dark One was on a war path as he appeared in a swirl of red magic and stormed towards the town of Barnem. The half-moon was high in the sky, and Piper wasn't with him. Of course she wouldn't be with him, Piper hadn't returned to the castle. Not a few hours after she left, not by dusk, not well into nightfall. At first he thought she was teasing him, waiting till she knew he'd fret over her and then she'd appear and they'd have dinner or discuss her deal or, at the worst, he would heal her wounds. His mind had begun to run wild as the hours went by after the allotted time, what could have happened to her to keep her from coming back. He could feel it, their deal was still in place, she hadn't just decided to flee or stay away, something was keeping her from returning.

And he was going to find out what it was and tear its throat out.

He threw out his hand as he reached the gates of the town, sending the wood splintering, the make-shift gates flying into the town, causing those of the town that had stayed to celebrate, it appeared, to scream and scramble back from the entrance. Oh he could have appeared in the middle of the festivities, which were clearly due to the fact that there was not a frog or toad in sight…which meant Piper HAD been there and seen through her end of the bargain. He could have just appeared there, startled a few, but he was in no mood for pleasantries or small displays, he was in no mood for conversation, not now. Right now he wanted answers and he needed a show of power to do it. He needed them to see how powerful the Dark One was, how great was his magic, so that they would be too frightened to lie to him or try to plead with him. He wanted them terrified and wanting him to leave, he wanted them desperate to do anything to get him to go…and all he wanted was answers.

"Who governs this town!?" he demanded, striding right to the middle of the villagers, "WHO!?"

An old man was pushed forward by someone in the crowd, a weak looking man, hunched over, with bushy eyebrows, quickly pulling his cap off his head to fiddle with in his hands as he was made to face the Dark One, "Gunther, sir," the man introduced.

"Oh I don't care," Rumpelstiltskin sneered, disappearing and reappearing in front of the man, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him into the air before anyone could gasp, "I DO care about the one you had deals with. The Pied Piper. Where. IS. She?"

"I…I don't…" Gunther tried to speak, his hands clawing at the Dark One's, trying to breathe.

"Do NOT lie to me," Rumpelstiltskin lowered the man, bringing him closer till they were face to face, "I know she was here, I see the evidence of her visit. Now tell me, where did she go?" his lip curled into a sneer, "Or I shall burn this town to the ground."

"I don't know," Gunther managed to grunt out, "She came, she played, we paid her, she LEFT."

Rumpelstiltskin threw him to the ground, "You're lying," he spat, "I can smell a liar. And it would not be wise, dearie, to lie to ME," he looked at the people gathered around him, all of them cowering, "Now tell me, what have you done to my…" he cut himself off, honestly not sure what he was about to say though he doubted it was going to be caretaker or partner, "What have you done to the Piper?" the people glanced at each other in fear, "TELL ME!" he roared.

"It weren't us!" a boy called, "We didn't…they just…they came and…"

Rumpelstiltskin appeared before him, "What?"

The boy swallowed, "They came and took her."

"Who did?" his hands curled into fists at that, at the knowledge that someone had taken her, "The Black Knights?"

"N-no," the boy stuttered, "The…the collectors."

"The what?" he nearly sneered, never having heard of them.

"They're…they're travelers," the boy tried to explain, "They take people," he winced, "They call them…freaks," he stumbled back as a fire appeared in the Dark One's hand, "They took her away."

"And let me guess," he stepped back, walking in a wide circle around the middle of the gathering, "NONE of you dared help her? After she so graciously attended to your town?!"

"We couldn't," the old man scrambled to his knees but didn't get up, looking at the Dark One pleadingly, "They…they have others," he whispered as though imparting a dark secret, "They're...they're feral, bloodthirsty. They threatened to release them if we tried!"

Rumpelstiltskin curled his hand into a fist, extinguishing the fireball, "You…" he pointed to the boy, "Come here."

The boy looked at the men and women standing on either side of him, hesitating.

"NOW!"

The boy winced and quickly shuffled forward, "You are going to tell me everything you know about these 'collectors.'"

"What are you gonna do?" the boy asked, before clapping his hands over his mouth, his eyes wide as he realized who he had just questioned.

Rumpelstiltskin just smirked, "I'm going to kill them."

~8~

The Collectors, even the words in his mind carried a tone of venom as Rumpelstiltskin ventured through their camp only an hour later. According to the boy they were a group of vile men that made it their business to travel through the Enchanted Forest and 'collect' magical beings, magical animals really, creatures. They were trying to make a complete collection of the mythical and magical creatures that roamed the forests, flew through the skies, and hunted in the seas.

And Piper fell into that category.

The men had a charm, an object that alerted them when they were near a magical creature and what sort of creature it was. These men, from what the boy had said, had been travelling through Barnem when it went off. It did not take much, listening to Piper, to know she possessed magic. But, looking at her, she passed as human, no one would think she was part-siren unless they had something that told them she was not fully as human as she appeared. It had been enough for them to attempt to seize her as she was leaving the town. It was a trap worth remembering so he might take precautions with Piper in the future. Piper could hear songs, yes, it made sneaking up on her infinitely more difficult. But the men had waited as a part of the town so she wouldn't notice their songs and grabbed her as she was leaving, they had warned the town not to follow, revealed some of their other 'treasures' to keep them from attempting to help get her out of their clutches.

He would have been intrigued, he knew, about the various creatures the boy had described, how truly feral and vicious they had seemed to be, had it not been for the fact that Piper had been taken in among them.

No, right now he was the farthest thing from intrigued, he was furious.

NO ONE took what was his, no one even attempted and lived to tell the tale without some sort of consequence to it.

And these men? He was going to enjoy slaughtering them all.

Once they woke up, at least. He had cast a small sleeping curse over them, not wanting to risk any sort of confrontation till he had gotten Piper to safety, and then he was going to find them a good view, high above, and watch the slaughter that would follow. And he was sure there would be quite the slaughter to follow. He was walking past the cages.

There were _cages_ filled with creatures all trapped within. All were kept separate but in one long chain, animal after animal, creature after creature. And they truly were feral, they were snarling and growling at him as he passed, swiping through the bars to try and get to him, others beating themselves against the bars to try and get out and attack. They were vicious beyond a doubt, almost senseless, it was as though their baser instincts, their deepest, most animalistic traits were being brought to the surface. That was not something one would think to see of a tree nymph he'd passed, nor the unicorn, both were so pure and kind and gentle…now they were nearly deranged in their captivity, twisted and tormented beyond recognition.

It made him walk faster, his mind racing at what it could mean for Piper. Surely it couldn't be so bad as she had only been taken recently, just hours ago. The Collectors could not have done something to her that would leave her in such a state so quickly. But still, just the thought of it unsettled him enough to hurry. If the men possessed magic enough to track and capture the creatures he'd seen, he could only imagine what they might have to use against them.

And then he heard it.

A screech.

A painful, agonized, bloodthirsty screech.

But it wasn't just the fact that it was something that could make such a noise, such a human noise, no…it was that he recognized the tone and quality of the voice. It was Piper! He magically transported himself forward, down the line of creatures and to the first cage, his heart stopping, his breath leaving him at the sight before him.

Piper was on her knees in the cage, her hair half falling in front of her face, her hands and knuckles bruised and bloody, blood on her clothing, her eyes so dark there wasn't any white to them at all, they were completely and utterly black. Her face was pinched into such a deadly expression he found himself stepping back at it. She was hunched over, gripping the bars of the cage and screeching, whatever magic was affecting her, for clearly it had to be magic, had driven her so deep into her instincts, so deep into her mind that she didn't even seem to have control of her magic, had no way to use it to escape. She was snarling at him, half-growling as she tried to reach through the bars and swipe at him, panting and huffing through her nose, her jaw clenched so tightly it had to be painful before she slammed herself against the bars trying to get out, screeching the entire time.

"Pip…" he breathed.

"Exquisite, isn't she?" a voice said beside him. He immediately turned, a fireball in his hands, as he saw a man, dark skinned, a scar over his eye blinding him in it, step out of the shadows, his hands behind his back, bald but with a white goatee, a black cloak draped over him, hiding his clothing, "Oh there's no need for that Dark One."

Rumpelstiltskin glared at him, "What have you done to her?"

"Nothing," the man smiled, "All we do to our creatures is….release them."

"They are caged."

"You misunderstood," the man chuckled, "We release their inner-selves," he gestured at Piper, "Your little half-siren is a…rare thing," he eyed her as she tried to pry the bars, "Truly, I have not encountered one till now," he observed her before smirking at the Dark One, as though thinking he were imparting a dark secret of hers in being half-siren, not knowing she'd revealed that she had some Siren in her to him ages ago when they discussed how they came to possess their magic, "It was a true joy to free her of her humanity."

Rumpelstiltskin paused at that phrase, his gaze flickering back to the cage…and then he saw it, a small gem that was stuck into the metal in the center of the cage's rim, an orange gem that seemed to flicker as though there were fire in it, glowing faintly. The fire died in his hand as he realized what the gem was. It was an absorption stone, it was meant to absorb something from one person, to pull it out of them. Normally it was meant for emotions, happiness, sadness, love…but it could also be used for deeper ones, empathy, compassion, forgiveness…humanity as well. The gem was pulling the humanity out of Piper and keeping it from her.

It explained what was happening to the other creatures as well. He had seen similar gems in their cages too. While few of them had a sense of humanity, it could absorb other things, leaving those in the cages with just their most basic, darkest instincts.

He stepped forward, towards the cage, towards Piper.

"I would be careful," the man laughed, "She's feisty."

Rumpelstiltskin ignored him, though kept the man's words in mind for later, knowing he would very much enjoy seeing the man torn apart, but right now he needed to focus, "Pip…" he began, but she just snarled and screeched at him, not a trace of recognition in her eyes. He closed his own at that, at seeing her reduced to this…before a smirk lit his face, hearing the man move right behind him…perfect.

And, with that thought, he snapped his finger, unlocking Piper's cage and disappearing in a swirl of red smoke, reappearing on top of the cage in time to watch Piper lunge out of the cage and launch herself at the startled man who had not been expecting this to happen at all. He felt a grim smile appear on his face, knowing Piper was getting her revenge on the man, literally tearing him apart with her bare hands, strengthened in the loss of her humanity and barriers holding her magic back, but knowing she was being manipulated by the gem to do this. He crouched down, ignoring the man's screams, as he pulled the gem out of the metal with a bit of magic, and standing again.

He waited till Piper had snapped the man's neck, before calling out, "Piper!"

She turned, snarling at him and ran for him, ready to attack him as well.

He crushed the gem in his hands and let it drift down towards her, the gems circling her, surrounding her, and be sucked into her in a deep breath.

Piper fell to her knees, panting and coughing, gasping for air as he jumped down beside her, gathering her into his arms as she shook, the effects of the magic causing her to tremble from the trauma of it all. He doubted she would remember what she had done if she didn't see the body, once the humanity settled in her once more, he would tell her of course. She deserved to know what happened, but it would be a blessing not to remember how truly…gruesome a death she had dealt the man that had captured her.

"It's alright Pip," he murmured, winding his arms around her, holding her tight, unconsciously rocking her back and forth as she gripped at his shirt, still in shock, "It's alright, I'm here. You're safe," he didn't even realize that he'd pressed a kiss to her forehead before adding, "Just as I promised. You're safe now."

~8~

Piper walked slowly beside Rumpelstiltskin, her arm around his waist as he had his around her shoulder, knowing that hers was for stability as she trembled still as she walked, feeling so weak and feeble that she was sure if she wasn't leaning on him she would fall over. For him though, she could tell in how he was rubbing her arm, how his other hand was holding her free one, that it was both for comfort and stability as well. It had taken an hour, from what the man had told her, for her to come back to herself completely, to be aware of what was going on around her, to be strong enough to stand.

She had seen a man behind them, lying on the ground, his expression one of true terror and fear, frozen mid-scream, looking very much like he'd been torn apart by a rabid animal…and knew there was blood on her clothing and staining her hands. She had merely asked if she had done that, to which Rumpelstiltskin had told her yes. She'd just said 'good' and turned to try and walk away, stumbling till he'd moved to her side to help her. She recognized the man, from before her mind had gone blank, he had been in the town, he had been the one that was ordering the others to take her, to hold her down, to throw her in that cage where here world had whited out. Whatever she had done to him, however she had killed him had probably been too gentle a death.

She saw it, the animals, the creatures, how they were acting as Rumpelstiltskin led her back down the line of cages. They were all acting the same, out of their minds with rage and wild in nature, she could guess as she'd been in a cage that she had been the same. For that man to force that on her, to turn her into one of those creatures? He deserved a more painful death.

"Why are we walking?" she murmured to him as they went, knowing full well he could magically transport them away from there and she wanted to leave, she wanted to get as far away from the freak show the man had been trying to make as possible.

"There's something I think you shall want to be witness to," he answered, leading her to the very end of the line of cages, the last one empty of an animal but filled with supplies. In a puff of smoke they were standing on top of it, staring out at the camp slumbering behind it. He could guess that the man Piper had killed hadn't been affected as he'd only cast the sleeping spell on the camp and not the animals or the front of the caravan, but the rest of his men…they were sitting ducks.

"What are you going to do?" Piper squeezed his hand, not letting him release the one he was holding, wanting to know what would be coming first, before she decided if she wanted to see it or not. He merely turned to her, giving her a look before glancing back at the animals, and then to the camp, and back. She blinked, understanding what he was saying without words and nodded, letting go of his hand, "Do it."

He nodded slowly at the crack in her voice and snapped his fingers.

The camp began to wake…just as the locks on all the cages came undone.

It was a slaughter. A true and verifiable slaughter.

The animals, instead of running into the woods to terrorize other villages, went right for the camp and attacked. It was a testament to just how badly the creatures truly reacted to the gems that their first instincts weren't to flee but to take revenge. It seemed the camp had underestimated what instincts would remain in the creatures they'd captured. Somewhere inside them they all knew that the camp was responsible for their capture, for their treatment, for what they'd become, and they targeted them first.

It was a sight to behold, watching the creatures attack, Piper never thought she'd see the day where a unicorn, of all creatures, the pure and gentle beings that they were, would impale someone on its horn…nor had she thought it possible, but there it was. The camp stood not a chance as the creatures went wild, and those that tried to flee were quickly dragged back.

"What do you think Pip?" Rumpelstiltskin asked her as the carnage drew to an end.

"Release them," she murmured, looking up at him from where he held her, "Free them from the gems."

He looked at her a long moment, understanding why she requested that. Most others would assume that the Dark One and the Pied Piper, being so dark themselves, would want to release the creatures into the woods, allow them to cause terror to every man, woman, and child around. But that was too savage a fate to inflict on the innocent. The camp had deserved to meet its end by the ones it held imprisoned, others, especially children, did not.

Most people would think they'd want the creatures loose in the world, being dark, but there was a difference between being dark and being evil, and neither of them were quite on that end of the spectrum yet. They both still had their hearts, they both still had their humanity, whether it was tainted by the dark or not it was still there.

He raised his hand and waved it back towards the cages, the gems shattering within all of them, the small dustings of them lifting into the hair and floating back towards the creatures it belonged to, drifting into them on an inhale. Most of them collapsed in exhaustion of the trauma, others managed to crawl into the woods, but they were all restored to their original selves once more.

"Many thanks," Piper whispered, gripping his shirt tighter as she swayed.

He quickly caught her, picking her up into his arms as she herself collapsed, the events of the night catching up to her, leaving her utterly spent. He nodded, tightening his arms around her, "Let's get you home, Pip," he spoke quietly, giving the camp one more glance before they disappeared in a swirl of red, back to the Dark Castle where Piper would be able to rest and recover her strength.

And if a few areas of the castle got dusty during that time? So be it.

A/N: That little circus was...not very wise to do that to Piper, were they? :/ They had no idea at all what they were really dealing with in stripping every bit of humanity from a Siren :( I sort of wanted Gold to be able to play hero but also demonstrate that, even in the Enchanted Forest, even as the Dark One and Pied Piper, they both still had a limit and distance they would let their darkness take them. They both tried not to cross the line from dark to evil in a permanent way :)

And I'm very happy this chapter is up, I was trying to update another story yesterday night and I kept getting an error message after I'd log on :( So I'm very happy that it's working now and I could get this one up :)

Some notes on reviews...

I'm more on the Swanfire side too, I feel like if we'd been able to see more of Neal and really get inside his head more some of his actions would make a little more sense though I feel like a few of his choices were more 'heroic' than some of Hook's, like he gave Emma up so she could go free an entire town and her family and get them back, he was concerned with what she needed in her life and what was the right thing to do even if he knew it would make him seem like a traitor to Emma in the end. I can't really see Hook making that same choice if he knew it would make Emma hate him in the end, we've seen him try and cover up things to avoid that too many times, but that's just my opinion :)

Yup, the Charmings could see him. What Regina said through Mary Margaret in talking about Gold being back was more because Emma was standing right there and she didn't know how much they might have told her as the girl didn't seem to know Piper or Gold were back before she went undercover, so it was her attempt to keep Snow and Charming's secret knowledge a secret in front of Emma ;) I have seen the sneak peek yup :) I feel like everyone else would be horrified Emma did what she did, but Piper would be more like 'tsk tsk, you could have used that to get OUT of the prison, waste of a heart there' lol :) Hook will definitely face a bit of suffering before the story's out, mostly from Emma and her thoughts on their relationship...and a bit of Piper helping her niece out at times ;) Ursula did know something, but whether or not what she knew (and told Hook) was everything that Gold was planning...or even what he's REALLY planning, remains to be seen ;) Hook will bring up what Ursula told him and that she told him something in the next chapter ;)

I think Snow's at the point of she NEEDS Piper to be a villain to make her feel justified in what she did to Gold, but when she finds out the entire truth about why her cousin is seeking revenge, the consequences of her actions and what happened in New York, I think she'll finally realize that SHE was more the villain in this situation ;)

Emma's reaction to what Snowing did, and their reasons for doing it (in the story), was one of my favorite scenes to write }:)

Snow will definitely be made aware that Piper's only targeting her yup, that's a little part of why she was unsure if August was safe. She's remembering Piper's remark about 'Snow's people' and assuming August is among them since he's not blood-family, which is a mistake on her part }:) I'm glad that part made you angry, it made Emma angry too ;) I felt like it paralleled Snow in the show with how, after they told Emma the truth about what they did, they sort of expected her to have forgiven them only an episode or two later :( And thanks! I fixed it :) That will be a question Piper will be asking herself (and Snow) quite a bit }:) Emma was mostly in shock that Piper was back and that her parents lied to her so she sort of defaulted to the 'mission' till she could process it :) Henry will be honest with one hero about what he did with the dagger, but he'll also make it very clear that he doesn't care if they tell the others or how the others take it because he feels HE knows what the right thing to do was and he did it, and how can the heroes chastise him for something THEY do all the time even if it ends up causing consequences later? :) I think the heroes saw it more as August needing to be rescued from the others, if Piper was ganged up on or left August alone (though she wouldn't do that), she wouldn't be able to stop Cruella or Ursula or Maleficent hurting August. And Piper sort of agrees, August would be safer out of the reach of the other villains that WERE going to torture him for information before she stopped them :) I feel like that's something the heroes do a lot, expect people to follow and help them just because they're heroes and then get all frustrated when they're ignored lol :) And no worries ;) I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter!


	30. Best Laid Plans

Best Laid Plans

Emma was quiet as she stood in Mary Margaret's apartment, looking over at Henry and August, the two men sitting on the couch, their heads bent together, quietly talking and discussing the papers Henry had come by. She still didn't know how exactly he'd gotten the pages that had once belonged to August. The excuse he gave was that he'd snuck into Gold's shop and found them, but now that she knew Piper was there, she was more inclined to believe that he'd gone to see her and she'd given him the papers.

It was…a relief, to know that, to know Piper still cared about Henry, to know she obviously still cared about August…and cared about HER too. She wouldn't lie and say she hadn't been a little worried when Piper had been shouting at Mary Margaret at the town line, when she had been telling the woman that she wasn't going to fight her heart hardening against Snow White and her 'people.' For a moment she wasn't sure what that meant, if people meant every single person in Mary Margaret's life, including her and Henry, or if they were safe. No, not safe, safe wasn't the right word. Safe implied there was a danger to them and, no matter what, no matter how Piper had looked at Mary Margaret, she couldn't bring herself to think that Piper would be a danger to Henry or HER. It was nice to be reassured though, to know that the woman still loved her and Henry despite being angry at Snow White.

There were questions though, so many questions that she had about all of this. Piper had said to talk to Henry, to ask him and she supposed it made sense to start with Henry, find out what he knew, before she confronted Piper again. Something was going on, not just with her parents and Hook, but with Piper too. There was something off about the woman when she'd seen her in Gold's cabin. She really wanted to talk to her again, see exactly what was going on.

Of all the people in her life, from the feel she got off them, from what she sensed in their words…Piper was the one most likely to actually TELL her the truth. It seemed like there was something she wanted her to know, but she didn't know who to ask or how to phrase it.

Looking at August and Henry now, the two thick as thieves since August had been awake, she knew she needed to take matters into her own hand and really START asking and listening. And now she had the time. Her parents were with Neal, Regina was taking a photo of the page with the door on it to Gold to help them keep 'looking' for the door, as she'd been instructed to steal the page back from Henry, Hook was at the dock, and there was nothing to really do or that could be done but to wait till Regina checked in, and her son deserved at least an hour of normalcy in the middle of all this crazy, he would always be her top priority.

"Hey kid," she called, "Why don't you let August get some sleep?" she offered, seeing some bags under August's eyes, being restored to a full-grown, non-wooden man had taken a lot out of him, she could tell, and the man hadn't gotten to bed till late, had been woken up at the crack of dawn by Henry, the two whispering, stopping when anyone got close enough to hear, but August had to be exhausted, "How about we get breakfast at Granny's?" she added, "Bring some back for August?"

"That'd actually be great," August smiled at her thankfully. He wanted to keep talking to Henry, to go over what he knew of the Author, to be able to help more with Operation Bluebird, but he wouldn't lie and say he wasn't tired.

"I guess," Henry sighed, making the adults chuckle at that, but he got up and followed Emma out of the house, August flopping down on the couch to sleep the second Henry's back was turned, which had Emma shaking her head on the way out.

~8~

"So, kid," Emma began as she sat in the booth across from Henry, "Seems you've been keeping something from me?"

"Nothing like what grandma's keeping from you," he muttered.

"What?" her eyes narrowed at that.

"I'm sorry I was keeping it from you," Henry amended quickly, hoping that Emma hadn't actually heard him, it was too important to Operation Bluebird how Emma found out about everything for it to come from him, "I…I'm assuming Aunt P told you?" she nodded, "I'm sorry mom, but I'm not sorry I gave grandpa back his dagger and…"

"Whoa, whoa, hey," Emma's eyes widened, "You gave…" she quickly lowered her voice, leaning in, "You gave Gold his dagger back? YOU were the one that took it?"

Henry winced at that, "I'm guessing that _wasn't_ what Aunt P told you…"

"No," Emma huffed, "She might have let slip that you'd been calling her. Why didn't you tell me?"

"About the phone calls or the dagger?"

"Both."

Henry sighed, "The dagger because…it was the right thing to do," he admitted, "The only thing it was good for anymore was killing grandpa. And…" he looked her in the eyes, "You know that's why Mary Margaret and David kept it."

It didn't slip her notice that he hadn't called them grandma or gramps, "It was a precaution," even as she said it her words felt hollow in her mouth. She had NOT agreed with keeping the dagger for that reason at all.

"I gave it back to Aunt P," Henry continued, "Because she's had it practically for forever, she'd protect it, I didn't want it to be near Mary Margaret or David."

"Why not?" she narrowed her eyes slightly at that.

"Because they're heroes," he stated.

"And that's a bad thing?" she shook her head, there was something in his tone that told her the heroes was not meant to be a compliment.

"It's not good and it's not bad," Henry sighed, trying to find the words to explain it, "Mary Margaret sent grandpa over the townline because she wanted to protect everyone, but the town wasn't in danger from grandpa. Aunt P had the dagger that whole time, he could have done anything and he didn't. He…"

"Hey," Emma held up her hands in surrender, "You don't have to convince me, I agreed with you."

"Right," he nodded, sheepish, "She didn't think about what she was doing, or what it would do to Aunt P. I didn't want to risk them thinking that they HAD to do something worse than just banishment to grandpa and then regret it later."

"Ok," Emma let the word out in a long breath, "I can understand the Dagger. And the phone calls…"

"She's Aunt P," Henry shrugged, "She had to be devastated at what Mary Margaret did, I wanted to make sure she'd be ok. I know she had a life in the land without magic, but grandpa didn't. I just wanted to make sure they were doing ok."

Emma smiled at that, "You're a good kid. I wish I had thought of doing that."

"Well, no one really knew if the phonelines would work between there and here," Henry shrugged again, "I think that's what mom, er Regina's, hoping with Robin Hood," he looked down at that, "That THAT's the reason he hasn't called or contacted her, because it won't work. But…I know it does."

"Yeah, well we're working on that," Emma muttered, thinking about a request Regina had given her last night. She'd had a dream, apparently, that she'd found Robin but then the Evil Queen threw a fireball at them and, she wasn't sure why, but Regina thought the Queen was trying to protect Robin. She was sure something had happened and that Robin was in danger and needed her help to track him down, find a way to contact him, a number or something. She'd promised to get on that.

"Anyway," Henry continued, "I called them a few times while they were in New York, that's where they went. And then I called them because I wanted to look at August's things that Gepetto gave Aunt P…and found out they were here."

"So you knew," Emma murmured, thinking about how her parents had known that Piper was back as well, Gold too because one wouldn't be far from the other. Regina had clearly found out or known beforehand, it felt like everyone knew but her.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you mom," Henry reached out to take her hand on the table, "I didn't want to tell anyone till I could get them the dagger back."

"Mary Margaret and David are NOT going to be happy to know you did that Henry," Emma warned.

Surprisingly, Henry's expression darkened, "I don't really care," he stated firmly, "I did the right thing and they can't get mad at me for it. That's what Mary Margaret did at the townline, wasn't it? What she thought was the right thing? But it wasn't. It was the worst thing possible."

Emma looked at him a long while, seeing that he had the beginnings of tears in his eyes, "Hey, kid," she squeezed his hand, "What's wrong? What's going on?"

Henry swallowed hard, looking out the window a moment and back to her, "Mom…Mary Margaret betrayed Aunt P. She didn't even give grandpa a chance, she just…threw her cousin's true love over the townline to fend for himself."

"Yeah, I got that," Emma nodded slowly, "What else is there?"

"Aunt P is half-Siren, right?" he asked, sounding more like he was trying to explain something than questioning her, "Well Sirens, they don't do well with betrayal, it's even worse if their family betrays them. You know how Aunt P's heart can harden, well…now it's hardened against Snow White. Because she saw her cousin banish her true love, she tried to keep Aunt P from going with him. She…she basically tried to separate a Siren from their mate and that's a HUGE no-no in siren world," he waited a moment to make sure Emma absorbed how BAD it really was, "She can't help it," he added, "Aunt P, she can't help that her heart hardened, it just happens. And…the only way to reverse it is to take revenge on the person that hurt you, to hurt them as much as they hurt you."

Emma let out a breath at that, "She's going after Mary Margaret now?"

Even saying it out loud it felt so surreal, to imagine Piper, the one that had defended and stood by and protected Mary Margaret from the moment she arrived in town was now trying to take her out.

"Kind of," Henry hesitated to speak, "Grandpa's going to keep her from really hurting her, but…what she's planning, mom I…I think Mary Margaret might actually deserve it."

Emma blinked at him for that, to hear her son say such a thing, such a…non-heroic thing, "What?"

Henry looked frustrated, "Things…happened. To Aunt P and grandpa, BAD things mom. Really bad things happened, and they're still happening, because of what grandma did."

"What kinds of things?" she frowned.

"I can't say."

"Henry," she gave him a look.

"It's not MY secret to tell," Henry shook his head, remaining firm, "You need to talk to Aunt P if you want to know, but, trust me mom…she has her reasons for standing against Mary Margaret this once. And they're good ones."

Emma fell silent at that, thinking over what her son had said. Henry was…the most heroic, pure-hearted little boy she had ever known. For HIM to tell her that she needed to hear Piper out for her reasons to be opposing Mary Margaret…she was going to listen. She had promised to listen to him more, often he was wiser and smarter than she was. It didn't sit right with her at all that her family was so divided that Piper was taking a stand against her mother, but…she was NOT going to jump to conclusions and take one side over the other till she knew BOTH sides.

She was not going to make her mother's mistake at the townline.

She'd already made the same mistake her mother had in the past, causing Regina the loss of her true love, she was not going to risk losing her Aunt P, especially not if the woman actually WAS justified to be at odds with Mary Margaret.

She was going to wait, and learn the truth before she did anything.

"Are you mad at me?" Henry asked her after she'd been quiet for a few minutes, fidgeting in his seat.

Emma let out a long breath, "No," she told him, "I'm not. I'm…I'm actually proud of you for sticking to your convictions and for doing what you felt was right. But next time," she pointed at him, trying to be serious but not demanding, "You tell me first. Ok?"

Henry smiled, "Deal," he reached out to shake her hand, "Once you know the truth mom, there's something else I need to tell you about."

"What?"

He smirked, "You said next time, the 'something else' is in the past."

"Smart," she rolled her eyes at his cunning, he really was Neal's son, the Dark One's grandson with wit like that.

"Now…since I told you some things," Henry began, "Would you tell me something?"

"What?"

"Why are we really here?" he asked her, "You could have made breakfast in the apartment, and you could have asked the others to come, but you only asked ME. Why?"

Emma shook her head, "You're getting too smart, kid."

Henry just grinned smugly at that.

"All this going on, with August, with him going from Pinocchio to August again, the boy to the man, and…the lies…it made me think of you, and Hook."

"Really?" he raised an eyebrow at that.

"Hear me out," she chuckled at his incredulous expression, "August was a kid, and you're MY kid. And now he's a man, who wore a leather jacket and got me to believe in things again, a man that I know you were close to in Operation Cobra. It made me think of Hook and you. Look," she sighed, knowing this was about to get serious, "Before, I asked you if you were ok with me and Hook. You said no. But also that you wanted me to be happy. And that should have been a red flag to me, but it wasn't. In New York, I wanted to make sure you were ok with me and Walsh before I did anything, it should have been the same here, it shouldn't have mattered if it was Walsh or Hook. You weren't comfortable with me and Hook, not like you were with Regina and Robin Hood. And I ignored you. And I'm sorry."

"It's ok," he shrugged but looked away.

"No, it's not," she told him, "You are my son. You are the most important person in my life, and what YOU feel matters to me. I never should have asked Hook out while you were uncomfortable with him," she sat back a little, taking a deep breath, "Which brings me to a question I need to ask…"

"Why aren't I comfortable with him?" Henry guessed.

"Yeah."

He was quiet a little, "I know Walsh was a flying monkey, that he was…he was using the two of us. And it hurts to know that. I just…I don't want that to happen again. With Hook. I don't want him to use me to get to you."

Emma frowned at that, leaning in, "Henry…" she paused, not wanting to think of what the answer would mean, "HAS he? Has he made you feel like that?"

"I'm not sure," Henry sighed, "Whenever we're on his ship for 'lessons,'" he used quotey fingers, "Sometimes it feels less like him giving me a lesson about sailing and more like he wants me to give him a lesson about you."

"He what?" she demanded, feeling her anger rise. How DARE he do that to her son?!

"I mean, he asks a lot of questions about you, and I get that he's interested in you, and guys probably ask that a lot but…I don't like it," he admitted, "I don't like answering them because it feels like I'm just helping him…manipulate you or something. Like with Walsh. I really liked him, he seemed interested in me too, not just as your son but as a person. With Hook…"

"It feels more like he's using you to get to me," Emma muttered, silently cursing Will Scarlet under her breath.

"Sometimes," Henry nodded, "When Zelena was around, when I didn't remember Storybrooke, Hook kept trying to get me out. And it just felt more like he wanted your son away instead of that he actually cared that MY life was in danger with Zelena coming after me. I felt more like he wanted Emma's son safe, instead of being worried that Henry's life was in danger."

Emma nodded at that, "I understand."

"And…" he hesitated.

"What?" she frowned.

"His story is in the book," he added, "The things he did as a pirate."

"He's trying to make up for that," she could only half offer, knowing that a large part of that was that he thought SHE wouldn't like a pirate.

"I know," Henry said quickly, "It's just…do YOU know any of his story?" Emma was silent, telling that she didn't know nearly enough, "I get he's a villain trying to redeem himself, like my other mom. But…she doesn't hide her past from me. Everyone here knows what she did. She'll talk about it if you ask her a question and she tries not to lie to me or cover things up. She doesn't let other people downplay what she's done or sugarcoat it. I…the times I'm around Hook. If I ask him, he never talks about it. I don't think he's actually told YOU about half the things he did. The book has some of them, more quick descriptions of things, and I know some are probably not exactly how it happened, cos it's not like that for my mom either, and there's probably WAY more that he did in 300 years than can fit in the book, but…I don't like that he won't be open about with you. I feel like he's trying to hide himself or…or lie about the past, like he IS trying to downplay it or sugarcoat it for you, to make you like him more. I mean, what kid doesn't want to be a pirate when they're younger?" Henry tried to lighten it up, "I wouldn't think less of him for being honest, but he won't be. Even when I ask. Even when I tell him that I already know. He lies all the time about it or doesn't talk at all. And I get it, pirates lie, but if he really wants to be with you, shouldn't you know about HIM?"

"Yeah," Emma nodded, "I should. And I've talked to him about it. It's up to him if he wants to change that part though."

"Good," Henry smiled at her a little, "I'm glad you talked to him. That makes me feel better."

Emma smiled at that, about to say more…when there was a buzz of her phone on the table, she picked it up, "Speak of the devil," she muttered, answering it, "Hook?"

~8~

"Hey," Emma called as she and Henry walked back into the apartment to see Hook standing there with her parents coming down from the upper level, August dead to the world on the couch, "What is it? What was so important you couldn't tell me over the phone?" she paused, seeing the very solemn, grim look on Hook's face, "What's wrong?"

Hook took a breath, seeming to steel himself for what he was about to say, "Before Ursula left, she told me what the villains have planned. To get their happy endings, they intend to darken your heart, love," he looked at her, ignoring how Mary Margaret gasped at the revelation, "To turn you into a villain so you'll no longer be the savior."

Ursula had told him how, according to Gold, Emma was the key to getting the happy endings for the villains, that it wasn't just the Author they needed, but something from her too. In this land, Emma was the one responsible for giving people happy endings, and while she was still on the side of good, only good would have their happy endings. He had feared that Gold was going to try and kill her, but Ursula had revealed it was much worse. The plan…was to fill Emma's heart with darkness forever.

"What?" Emma scoffed, noting that Henry was silent and she knew her son well enough to know it was either one of two reasons.

Either he knew that was the plan and agreed to it, which she knew, no matter what, no matter how justified he thought a punishment for Snow White would be, he would NOT agree to her being manipulated to darkness.

OR…he knew the plan that Gold had, and it was NOT that.

It was possible Gold lied to Henry and that the real plan was what Ursula described. But she couldn't see Gold or Piper lying to Henry, of all people, about this. Piper loved that little boy, she wouldn't lie, not even to get the dagger back, she wouldn't manipulate him like that. And after all that Piper had done to keep darkness from infecting her, infecting Snow White, she wouldn't just reverse that. Piper wasn't angry at HER, but at Mary Margaret.

She doubted Gold or Piper lied to Henry…no, it made more sense he'd lied to the Queens of Darkness than his grandson.

"Ursula said Gold has a way to do it," Hook told her, "He can use the Author to do it."

"That's insane," Emma shook her head, "Aunt P wouldn't…"

"She's joined the Queens of Darkness, Emma," Mary Margaret cut in, her voice breaking, sounding like she was genuinely frightened her cousin as now targeting her daughter.

"She wouldn't do that to ME," Emma shot her mother a glare.

"She's very angry right now, Emma," Mary Margaret argued.

"Yeah, she is, at YOU," Emma pointed out, "She has no issue with me."

"You're my daughter."

"And I'm her niece," Emma defended, "YOU were the one that betrayed her, Mary Margaret, YOU were the one that brought the siren out in her, not me. I know how it works, she's not coming after me. She protected August, for god's sake, he's not even her blood-family and she protected him from the Queens of Darkness. She is NOT going to hurt me," she shook her head and looked at Hook, "Whatever Ursula told you, whatever Gold told her the plan was, was a lie. Author or no Author, I am not going dark."

"Swan…" Hook began, drawing her attention to him as Mary Margaret and David spoke quietly behind her, "Darkness is tricky, it creeps up on you. It's…tempting and hard to resist, and it's far easier to infect someone than you know."

"Not really," Henry stepped beside his mother, "It took the Dark One himself years to be able to get my mom's magic to turn dark," he reminded them, not needing to clarify which mother it was, "And Aunt P's been protecting her and Snow White from darkness since forever."

Emma nodded at that, getting the subtle feeling that Henry had confirmed her suspicions. He seemed to know something about what Piper was planning, and if he was defending her, saying the darkness wasn't a part of it, she would believe Gold lied to Ursula. Even if Henry couldn't reveal what the actual plan was, couldn't reveal to the others that he knew Gold was there and had spoken to both him and Piper, she understood what he was trying to say

She jumped, however, when Mary Margaret suddenly turned and stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door behind her.

"She'll be fine," David told them quickly, before hurrying after his wife.

~8~

Piper looked up from where she and Gold were gathered in Regina's vault when the woman herself entered.

"Oh, at last," Cruella rolled her eyes, "I feel I've aged a decade waiting for you."

"Well, you certainly look like it," Reinga sassed.

"I would say more two," Piper offered, earning a glare from Cruella which just led to a smirk in return.

"Where's the page, Regina?" Maleficent got right to business.

"Don't tell me you failed," Gold taunted, far too calm, though it appeared to be something only Piper picked up on.

"The page was under a protection spell," Regina informed them, "Something cooked up by the Savior. She almost caught me trying to break it. I had to flee."

Piper had to wonder just how stupid the former-Evil Queen thought they were if she honestly believed that they thought she, a master sorceress, wouldn't be able to break a simple protection spell that Emma, a novice to magic, put on a piece of paper.

Gold nearly snorted at the ridiculous lie, "Are you sure that's what happened?"

"Of course I am," Regina glared.

"You have been gone quite a while," Piper baited, "Was it truly that difficult a spell to break?"

"It must have been," Gold added dryly, "For her to come back empty-handed."

Regina smirked at that, "I'm not empty-handed. I got this," she held out her cell phone, a picture of the paper, a door on it, depicted though there was a flare if light across it that obstructed quite a bit of the door itself.

"A photograph," Gold deadpanned, trying to sound disappointed.

It was part of their plan of course. When they had returned to the cabin after searching the Sorcerer's house and coming up with nothing, when they had seen that August had been taken, that the heroes 'attacked' and got him out (which DID help solidify the remaining Queens of Darkness's understanding that Snow White's cousin was really on their side of Snow White would attack her), they had determined that they needed to get their hands on the paper with the door on it, and that task fell to Regina, to 'prove' her loyalty to their cause.

Piper had, of course, contacted Henry to warn him of that fact, to keep him abreast of the situation, as promised.

This actually helped their plans quite a bit that Regina returned with only a poor copy of a picture of the door. Or it would have, had it not been for the glare nor Cruella commenting on it.

"Oh, and an incompetent one, too. That glare ruins any clear view of the door."

Gold sighed as he looked at the phone, knowing he had to speak the truth about the 'glare' that had appeared, because Maleficent was there and SHE would recognize it if she saw it, and she would grow suspicious as to why the Dark One himself hadn't noticed, "No, that's not a glare. That's magic. This door has been sealed by it. This is the door we've been looking for."

"You think the Author is trapped in an illustration?" Maleficent tried to follow along, "But that would mean…"

"The Sorcerer imprisoned him in the book," Gold regretted to say, he and Piper already knew that part of it, but now their hand had been forced and the Queens knew it too.

"Then we must get ahold of it," Piper stated simply, though it was FAR from simple. Because that paper was with Henry, and if those Queens went anywhere near him, three of the five people in that room would kill them, and then their plans of using the women as distractions would be up in smoke.

"Yes," Gold looked at Regina, "Bring us the page."

"That won't be easy," Regina shook her head, "The Savior isn't about to let it out of her sight."

"Don't worry about her," Maleficent smiled, "I've got just the thing."

~8~

The small group of villains stood on an overlook above the town, Maleficent lowering her staff as she finished casting a soft purple haze over the area, a less threatening sleeping curse that would keep the town quiet and their quest unimpeded as they went after the page.

"It's done," Maleficent declared, "Now let's get to work."

The group turned and started to make their way through the forest, Regina and Cruella in the lead, Maleficent and Gold in the center, while Piper trailed behind just far enough back where she could hear Gold and Maleficent's discussion while she subtly texted Henry a warning and amendment to the plan, knowing he and a few others would be awake despite the sleeping curse. Once one fell under it, they couldn't be forced into it a second time, they were immune. Which meant Henry would be awake, as would Mary Margaret and Aurora, but David, Emma, Hook, nearly everyone else wouldn't be.

"Now," Gold glanced at Maleficent, "You know what you have to do."

"Quite well," she nodded, "The question is, do you?"

"Our deal was that you were gonna help us find the Author and our happiness would be secured."

"Well, I'm altering the deal because, let's face it, you need that page from the book to get the Author, and to do that, you need me."

Gold scoffed, "Do we?"

"I just put the town to sleep," she pointed out, "I'm useful."

"Not quite as useful as you may think," Gold remarked, "I've seen Pip put towns to sleep before as well. She could have done the same here."

This time Maleficent scoffed, "Could she?" she mocked him, "You and I both know she doesn't have it in her at the moment to do magic like that," she smirked at how Gold's eyes narrowed at her, hearing the barest hint of a stumble in Piper's steps behind her, "She's not exactly at the top of her game at the moment, is she? Face it, Rumple, you need me. Cruella and Ursula were a means to an end…ME. That's why you haven't shed one tear over our tentacled friend's departure because you have me. And to have me means you have to give me what I want. It's oh so simple. I need to know what happened to my child after those two heroes got rid of it. I need to know its fate. In return, I will get us both the Author. We'll get you the page. And once I know what they really did to my child, those heroes will pay."

Piper's lips pursed at that, but she had to admit…Maleficent was partially right. They DID need her, but not for the reason she seemed to think. There were more plans and branches of plans going on than the Queens realized, and in order to keep their true plan secret, they had to let the woman think she held the cards.

Just a little longer.

~8~

Getting into Mary Margaret's apartment had been entirely too easy, which made sense as there were a handful of magic-users that could break the lock with a snap of their fingers and there hadn't been time to put a magical block in place when the curse hit. Piper had almost smiled at the sight of Emma and August sitting up on the couch, leaning against each other while Hook, passed out in an armchair nearby, even in his sleep, looked irritated at the sight.

"The Savior looks a lot less threatening in this state, doesn't she?" Maleficent eyed Emma, standing before the trio with her arms crossed, Cruella beside her while Regina 'looked' for the papers.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted to wring her scrawny neck right now," Cruella muttered.

"Try it and we shall see which of us has more control over animals," Piper threatened, moving past the two Queens to block their sight of Emma, "Be mindful, Cruella, I can sway both beast and man alike, and I have no preference in which I use to tear you limb from limb."

"I'd like to see you try, darling," Cruella smirked.

"I would not try," Piper challenged, "I would succeed."

"And if she failed," Gold added, "You would be left to face ME."

Cruella shot a glare at him but said nothing else.

"I think we can all agree that killing the Savior at this point would be ill-advised," Regina commented from the side of the room, sifting through papers.

"You're right about that, yet wrong about the location of the page," Gold remarked, "It's not here."

"We just have to keep looking," Regina insisted.

"I sense no magic here," Gold argued.

"The page was here two hours ago," Regina sniped, "It didn't just grow legs and walk out of here on its own."

"But it IS possible someone walked out of here with it," Piper pointed out, stepping back over to Gold's side, content that Emma was safe at the moment.

"I put the whole town to sleep," Maleficent disagreed.

"Except those who have been under a sleeping curse and are immune," Gold countered, staring at Regina's back, smirking as he saw the woman tense at the mention, knowing she knew exactly where his mind had gone and who he was implying, "I may know a resourceful young man who's wide awake. One who's very protective of the storybook and all its contents, one who's gonna test his mother's commitment towards helping me."

Regina turned and glared at him, before striding out of the room, leaving them little choice but to follow, "No one goes near Henry but me," she nearly spat as they reached the street, "If you have a problem with that, you can take it up with one of my fireballs."

Gold waited till Regina had strode off a few feet before looking at Cruella and Maleficent, "Follow her," he ordered, "And do what's necessary to convince the boy. That page is the key. Let's not lose it when we're this close."

"Where are you off to?" Cruella frowned as Gold offered Piper his arm, the two of them heading in the opposite direction.

"We have other business to attend to," Piper stated, walking off with Gold, gripping his arm tightly, knowing he was more leaning on her for support than walking with her on a leisurely stroll through town.

The moment they were around the corner and out of sight of the others, a red swirl of smoke surrounded them, transporting them to just outside Gold's shop. Piper quickly pushed the door open, helping Gold inside when…

"Grandpa!" Henry called, hurrying to help the man in as well, seeing him struggling to catch his breath, "It's getting worse, isn't it?" Henry frowned up at Piper, remembering what she'd told him about Gold's 'condition.'

"I am afraid so," Piper nodded, solemn as they managed to help Gold over to a small chair so he could rest, "You should not have transported us here, Rummy," she knelt before him, placing her hand on his knee.

"I could have met you somewhere else," Henry agreed, "Somewhere closer."

"Here was the safest place," Gold argued.

"It is not for you to protect us at the moment, Rummy," Piper argued lightly, squeezing his leg, "It is MY turn."

Gold smiled at her, strained though it was, "I will always want to protect you Pip."

"And you cannot do that if you are dead," she told him harshly, needing to be so so he would understand he needed to keep himself safe.

Henry frowned, "This is all because of your magic," he nodded, "You shouldn't use it."

"It wouldn't matter if I use it or not," Gold insisted, "My magic has always come at a cost, and I have racked up so much debt I can never be clear of it," he sighed, "I could have stopped it had your grandmother not sent me over the line when she did. Now?" he shook his head, "It's too late, unless we manage to change the rules."

"Then we need to get the Author out of the book," Henry determined, "Here," he pulled his backpack off and rummaged through it, "I have the page, right here," he handed it to Gold, "How do we get the Author out?"

"If he was trapped in there, it shall not be easy," Piper commented.

"He isn't just trapped," Gold shook his head, rubbing his face, managing to catch his breath again, "This is a cage," he held up the page, "And every cage has a lock to it…"

"And every lock has a key," Henry followed, "We need to find the key to the door to get the Author out," he frowned, considering that, "It has to be at the mansion. The Sorcerer's mansion," he looked at them, "That's where all the other storybooks are, all the blank ones I told you about. If he put someone in a book, maybe he keeps the key around the other books."

"It is a reasonable deduction," Piper murmured.

"You two stay here," Henry ordered them, "I'll get the key."

"Henry no," Piper shook her head, standing, "It is too dangerous."

"Is it?" he challenged, "The entire town is asleep and you said mom would be looking for ME. If she doesn't know where I am, then she can't find me."

"Locator spell," Gold reminded him.

Henry blinked, "Ok," he hadn't considered that, "If I keep on the move, I'll always be ahead of her. I just need to make it to the mansion and snoop around before she gets there."

"And what will you do if she gets there before you find the key?" Gold inquired, "They want the page."

"Then I'll give them it," Henry smirked, pulling out a second one from his back, "THIS one. Mom, er, Emma made it with her magic this morning for my other mom before she took that picture of the page instead."

Piper smiled as she looked at it, "Your mother is brilliant."

Henry just beamed at that, both at the compliment for his mother but also that Piper seemed to be giving him her blessing to do this mission solo.

She trusted him.

~8~

The text from Henry that the plan had gone perfectly, that he had not only found the key that would unlock the Author but also that he had managed to slip Regina the fake copy of the page had been a welcome relief to Gold and Piper. They had remained in the shop, making a potion that would help Gold with the pain he was so clearly feeling. He needed to appear strong before the two remaining Queens of Darkness if he wanted to be able to see their plan through. And he couldn't do that if he felt he could hardly breathe the pain was starting to get that bad.

"What were you doing in there?" Cruella demanded as they left the shop, having heard her car pulling to a screeching halt before the doors. They couldn't risk Maleficent or Regina entering the shop and seeing the leftover potion ingredients, they would put two and two together and work out what they'd been making.

"Mind your own business," Gold snapped.

"Did you find Henry?" Piper changed the subject.

"We found the boy," Maleficent smirked.

" _I_ found him," Regina shot her a glare, before handing over the false copy.

They would have accepted it as real, they truly would have…had they not seen a particular peculiar look cross Maleficent's face as Regina offered the page to them. The way she looked at Gold just after, it told them all they needed to know.

The woman was aware it was fake as well.

Emma's forgery might have looked near identical to the original page…but it didn't have the same magical imprint. Every spell cast carried something of the caster in it. They had hoped that, being seeped in dark magic, Maleficent wouldn't be able to sense the faint traces of Emma's light magic on the page, it was truly very weak…but the woman clearly had.

And now they either had to accept the page and go along with it, earning suspicion and retaliation from Maleficent…or call Regina out for the forgery, despite not wishing to do so as it would just make Henry a target all over again if the Queens thought he still had the real page…which they would because they couldn't reveal THEY had the real page without explaining how they'd gotten it.

"This is rubbish," Gold frowned at Regina.

"What?" Regina scoffed.

"It's a fake," he clarified, ripping it in two, "You've spent enough time with the book. You should know the difference."

"They tricked me!" Regina defended.

"Truly, Regina, did you honestly believe we did not have any suspicions about you?" Piper shook her head at the woman.

"I've been waiting for this moment," Gold smirked, at least that wasn't a lie, he HAD been curious just how long Regina would last with her ruse, "I knew it would come. Maleficent."

"Wait," Regina begged, "I can expl…"

But it was too late, Maleficent used her magic to put her to sleep.

Gold looked down at the woman sprawled out on the ground, "Bring her to her vault."

It seemed he needed to have a chat with the woman and her misconceptions about how it was 'heroic' to spy on them for someone like Snow White.

He honestly wondered if she knew just what Snow White had done to her 'friend's' child.

~8~

Mary Margaret, while relieved her husband had woken from the Sleeping Curse that had taken over the town, was not quite so relieved about other events that had happened while she had been trying to rouse him and get him back to their apartment. Emma had called her, had gotten an excited call from Henry that he had found the key that would unlock the door the Author was trapped behind in the Sorcerer's Mansion. Apparently, he'd been rooting around, hiding from the Queens of Darkness as he'd taken the fake page of the door with him, and stumbled upon the key while going through the drawers and desks of the Library Room he'd found in the man's mansion.

Emma had, of course, called her to meet back at the apartment with David so they could discuss what to do.

Neither of them were pleased with this development, if Ursula was to be believed, releasing the Author would undo everything they had done to keep Emma from falling to Darkness.

And now it seemed like there was only one option.

"I think we should destroy the page," David told his wife as they reached the hallway that led to their apartment.

"What?" Mary Margaret blinked at that.

"If we destroy it, Gold and Piper can never free the Author and use him to turn Emma dark."

"The Author would be trapped inside the book forever!" she argued, "Or it could kill him. Regina wouldn't get her happy ending…"

"We don't know that," David stopped before the door, dropping his voice, "We just know that she won't get it from the Author, we have to do it," he took her hands.

"How?" she scoffed, thinking of how, if Henry gave the fake page to the Queens he wouldn't just give up the real one, not to them, he seemed angry with them, "Just…waltz in there and take the paper from Henry and…and light it on fire? Put it through a shredder?"

"We can ask for it," David supplied, "Say that we want the fairies to examine it, make sure it's not a trap that…that there's even someone trapped in there and that it won't release another hell-bat-demon on us. We say that it WAS a trap and the page disintegrated when light magic was used."

"More lies," Mary Margaret shook her head, "I can't do this. I gave Henry that book to give him hope, and I'm gonna lie and take it away? And what about Regina? She's finally becoming a friend. I went to her for help with Emma, with our secret. She's kept it. She's risked her life for us. And we're gonna repay her by destroying her chance at a happy ending?

"Well, maybe there's another way. Mary Margaret, we've gone too far down this path. We have to protect Emma!"

Before another word could be spoken, the door to the apartment opened, revealing Henry by the door, his face hard…Emma and Hook not two feet behind him, staring at them with wide eyes.

"Protect me from what?" Emma demanded, her tone leaving absolutely no room for them to even attempt to brush the question off or lie. She looked between them, "What are you hiding from me?"

Mary Margaret and David looked at each other, a deep regret and fear in their eyes as they realized there was no escaping this, they hadn't expected Emma to be back at the apartment yet...and now she had caught them…the time had come for the truth to come out.

~8~

Emma stared at her parents, horrified, as they explained to her the truth they had been hiding from her.

She wasn't even sure she'd heard half of it, couldn't even begin to process what they'd told her.

The Queens of Darkness had come to them, in the Enchanted Forest, before the Curse, before Snow White had even known she was carrying the Savior, to make a deal with them to stop Regina. They'd gone to a tree that would only answer the question of the most valiant of heroes…and none were more valiant than Snow White and Prince Charming…or so they had thought. The tree rejected them, which had led to Snow White discovering she was pregnant.

Not just that, but apparently the baby she carried had the potential for either great good and heroism or great darkness and villainy.

Instead of trusting themselves her parents had then sought out a unicorn that would show them a vision of her future. While her father had seen her innocent and a baby, pure and happy, her mother had seen her older, angry and bitter and cruel…her mother had seen, in her vision, her heart being ripped out and crushed by her own daughter.

They had been directed to the Sorcerer's apprentice for help, the man revealing that every baby was born with potential for good and evil, and that was why the vision her parents had contained a reality that could happen, she could be a hero or a villain, her fate hadn't been set yet. Snow White had been terrified of her child turning dark, becoming a villain, claiming it would be a life of anger and hate and pain and that she didn't want her baby to suffer that. She had begged the Apprentice for a way to prevent such a fate…

And he had revealed one, one that would be cloaked in a truly dark and terrible deed.

He could rip the darkness out of the unborn baby Snow White carried…and place it in a living vessel.

And her parents had agreed.

Not just agreed, they had stolen an egg that Maleficent had laid, and decided to use THAT for the ritual. Her parents had stolen another woman's child, had forced it to be infused with HER dark potential, and had it banished to another world so that such a vile creature wouldn't plague the Enchanted Forest.

Her parents had essentially stolen a woman's child from them, a child that could very well be dead and if, by some miracle, it wasn't…it would be living a miserable life, suffering in agony from a darkness it shouldn't have EVER had to carry, a burden that wasn't theirs and never should have been.

"This whole time…" Emma breathed, completely stunned, tears in her eyes, "I was _right_. You were lying," she looked at her parents hard at that, "I wanted to believe you. I wanted to believe _in_ you…" and she had, she had so badly wanted to think they weren't lying to her, but she knew, she knew they were and they hadn't had the decency to tell her the truth.

"We were just trying to protect you," David offered.

"From what?" she shook her head, tears starting to fall, "Would it have really been SO bad if I wasn't your perfect little Savior of the light? Would it have been so terrible for me to be normal? To have any kind of darkness in me?"

Magic was a balance, she had learned that very well, you needed dark with the light, light with the dark, and all her parents had done was throw her entire being off balance…without her consent, and ended up condemning another baby for it.

"We HAD to," Mary Margaret sniffled, "I saw it, Emma. I saw what it was like to have a darkness in you that only grew stronger every day. I saw the pain and torment it could cause, the heartbreak, the tears, the fears and doubts and insecurities, the…the misery of it. I didn't want that for you. I was trying to save you from becoming…"

"Like Aunt P?" Emma cut in, a warning edge to her voice, "You are NOT telling me you did this to me because you didn't want me to be like her!"

That was the worst excuse ever, this was Snow White! She was supposed to love Rose Red! Love her cousin and not want to change her. Not want her children to change because of her.

"She was miserable, Emma," Mary Margaret defended, "It hurt her so badly and…the darkness," she shook her head, "I saw what it was turning her into, how it was affecting those around her, how it was affecting her. It...it changed her, the older she became, and it scared her, it hurt her. I was afraid that it would happen to you too," she reached for her daughter's hand, but Emma pulled it back.

"You should have LET it," Emma nearly spat, "I would rather be like her than like you."

And with that, she stood up, ignoring the devastated look on Mary Margaret's face at her words, harsh but truthful words, at this point…she would rather have been like Piper.

Piper had accepted her, when her magic was on the fritz, believed in her, never made her feel like a monster. Whatever pain she suffered, however dark she was, she was still a better person, to her, than others had been. She was strong and protective and she loved her family, she would die for them, she would rather herself suffer than let anyone she cared about be hurt. And she was a villain.

And here she had her 'heroic' parents, who had kidnapped an innocent baby, used dark magic to affect not just her but the other child, and then banished it away to DIE...and they were still called heroes for it? Here were her heroic parents that had looked at her with fear when her magic went haywire. The heroes that had betrayed their own, had cast out villains when it suited them, used and abused those around them, and would rather harm another woman's child than allow their own to have even a modicum of darkness in them.

This woman…this woman that was her mother, who had grown up with a half-siren for a cousin, who had claimed to love her and accept her, darkness and all…didn't want her own child, a child she named in honor of her cousin, to be like the woman at all. Mary Margaret said she didn't want her to have a darkness because of what she saw in her cousin…all it meant as that she truly couldn't and hadn't accepted or loved her cousin as much as she claimed if she couldn't stand the thought of her child being even slightly like the woman.

"I've got to go," Emma shook her head, turning to head for the doors, she needed to get out of there, she needed to be away from them, from the 'heroes' that no one would ever call out for what they had done and what it was, villainous.

"Please, stop," Mary Margaret tried to run after her, making her pause in the doorway, "I'm your mother."

Emma stared her on, her expression devoid of any emotion but betrayal and anger, "I don't care," she said, slamming the door shut and just…running, wherever she went…she just wanted to be away from the lies.

~8~

Piper inhaled deeply as she sat outside of Regina's vault, looking up at the night's sky. She should have been inside with the others, she knew, but it felt too warm in the vault, stifling, she'd felt more like a caged animal and she just...needed air. So there she was, sitting on the small step that led to the mausoleum...when she heard an almost stomping noise approaching.

She looked over, standing up when she spotted Emma heading for her, the woman pale, tears in her eyes, "Emma?" she breathed.

Emma just looked at her, dead in the eyes, "Tell me the truth," she began, her voice breaking.

"About what?" she eyed the girl, assuming she had finally learned the 'truth' or at least the version Snow White would want to tell that made her seem the hero, there was no other reason she could see for Emma to be so upset or want the truth if she hadn't been told, "About your mother?" she blinked as Emma winced at that, "Maleficent's child? New York? Our plans? What do you want to know Emma. Tell me and I SHALL answer you truthfully. What do you want to know the truth about?"

Emma took a breath and answered with just one word that would change it all.

"Everything."

A/N: I know this chapter ends a bit differently than the episode, we haven't had August's explanation of the Author yet, nor Emma's decision what to do with the key, as much as I tried to fit it into this chapter, it wouldn't flow right. We WILL see all of that eventually, we will see August talk to Emma and we will see the Author appear, since most of the episodes seem to be just a handful of consecutive days, those two moments (and a bit about Maleficent) have more just been pushed off an hour or two in the grand scheme of things. So we may not see them here and now, but we will see them soon ;)

I'm not sure if that's how time with Hook would have gone for Henry, but I feel like Hook would have fished around for more about Emma and Henry would be the only one that might talk to him, or so he'd think. And after what happened with Walsh and how he trusted the man and was happy for his mother and found a guy he thought was good...and have him be using them the whole time, he'd be a little more cautious about other men with Emma, especially if he gets a not quite entirely good vibe from it, I think :)

I may be evil to tease this but...next chapter, my heart broke writing it }:)

Some notes on reviews...

It'll depend on what Isaac will change that'll determine if Henry agrees with it or not ;) I'm curious to see what they do with Camelot, and then at the same time I feel like I almost don't want them to go there and change things with the King Arthur legend. I feel like the writers could either make it really epic...or really bad with what they decide to tweak and things, and given some less than stellar plots and how they handled some things in past seasons, I'm not sure I trust them as much as I used to to make it epic, but I'm going to try and hope for the best :) That's my theory too, that the magic sort of transported her or her last conscious 'good' thought was to get as far away from her family as possible, to go somewhere that she'd be locked away and kept away from them so she couldn't hurt them and her magic reacted and took her to Camelot. I'm glad you enjoyed the scene :)

I hope you have fun at camp! I think I got the PM :) I'm falling a little behind in relying to them again, but I'm hoping to get my inbox completely cleared by the end of this month :)

I'm glad you liked the last chapter :) I really feel bad we didn't get to really delve deeper into Neal, something I'm going to be attempting in my other OUAT series when I resume it :) With Hook sort of taken by someone else and not hounding Emma while Neal was around, we'll get to see what they'd talk about and how they might heal :)


	31. Shades of Blue

Shades of Blue

Rose Red smiled as she walked with her father through the village just outside the castle, looking at all the odds and ends and stalls in the market area. Her father liked to visit the people, take in their wares, show that he cared about them and their work. At least once a month would find him examining the items his kingdom could produce and sell, complimenting the various villagers for their commendable work. And this time she got to go with him! Her mother had refused to let her go the last few months, wanting to put as much time as possible towards her lessons with her music.

It wasn't going very well.

Her mother kept trying to teach her how to use her voice 'properly' instead of using her instruments. Well, that wasn't entirely true. They'd just started using instruments a week or two ago. Her mother was very pleased with the control she was getting in her music through the instruments, less so about her voice. She still struggled with that. But she had time to work on that, the instruments were good for now and she had promised her mother she would practice for an extra two hours if she let her go with her father just this once to the market. Her father had managed to convince her more than SHE had she felt, her father was always able to sweet talk her mother into being more lenient with her.

She HAD done very well with the instruments, he'd argued, before leading her off to talk in private. When they came back they both had soft looks on their faces and she was allowed to go! She was starting to suspect her father might have some sort of swaying magic himself if he could change her mother's mind like he did.

She was SO excited! Her father had mentioned to her to keep an eye out for something she might like as a birthday gift as her birthday would be next month. She was going to be 5 soon, she'd be one year closer to what Snow was! Though…Snow always seemed to be two years older than she was, but she'd be closer!

So she was very sure to keep her eyes wide and to be on the look out for something that she might want. She wasn't sure what it would be though, she wasn't really very interested in gifts, she never really wanted for anything more than what she had. But her father tried to get her to make exceptions for days like her birthday. She would do it for him then, because it made him happy to be able to provide for her, he said.

She glanced up at her father, hiding a giggle behind her hand as she noticed he'd gotten stopped by a particular vendor selling rather smelly, thin sticks of wood. Her father didn't seem to like the smell either, he was making the face he always made when he was trying to be polite but wanted to be somewhere else. He made that face a lot when the stuffy old men that kept trying to tell him how to run his kingdom came to speak to him.

She looked over to the side, tilting her head as something caught her gaze through a window of a nearby shop. She glanced at her father, making sure he was occupied before she stepped away from him and over to the window, peering in. It was near enough where he would see her if he looked over, but far enough away where she didn't have to smell the smelly sticks any longer. She moved onto her tip toes to be able to see into the shop. It was shop for glasswork, little bowls and plates and cups were set up inside, vases and goblets and crystal statues. But all those weren't what drew her attention over. It was a small figurine in the front of the window.

It was white, but with blue accents, and it looked like a nymph or sprite or some sort of lovely creature rising from a wave of water. It was beautiful and it reminded her of her mother, of the stories she would tell about rising out of the sea after a storm or in the moonlight. She smiled as she observed it, it was small, simple, but lovely…perhaps she should ask her father for that for her birthday?

She had just been about to turn and move back to her father's side when she was yanked back from the window, a foul odor invading her sense, ale and what smelled like a chamberpot that had been mixed with someone's sick.

She tried to pull away, but only managed to take a step and turn when the person grabbed her arm in a tight hold. It was a large man, portly, with greying hair around the sides of his head and moving into deep sideburns on either side of his head. His face was red, his eyes squinting, beads of sweat on his brow, his clothing stained with food and alcohol, he was missing a shoe too. She tried to yank her hand back, but the man had too tight a grip, one that was growing ever tighter and stronger despite how the man was swaying, still clearly drunk.

He reached for her with his other hand, his face contorted in a vicious sneer, and so she did the only thing she could do.

She screamed.

Her father, who had had his back to her and hadn't seen the man grab his daughter, spun around as an hair splitting, ear shattering scream pierced the air to see his daughter in the grip of another man and utterly terrified. He only managed to take a single step forward when something in the scream changed, a magic seeping into it. The scream grew louder, shriller, so piercing that those around her stumbled back, pressing their hands to their ears to keep the sound out. The glass around her, the windows and objects up and down the street began to shatter at the sound.

And the man…the man released her and fell back, his hands flying to his head as he let out a strangled scream.

King Ethan fell to his knees as he too was affected by his daughter's scream…but she was his daughter, and he somehow found the strength to push himself to his feet, half throwing himself towards the girl till he fell beside her, reaching out, ignoring the agonizing pain in his head having uncovered his ears, to pull her into his arms, holding her close, offering her comfort and safety.

Almost instantly her scream ended as she buried her face into his chest, sobbing, her eyes scrunched closed as he held her. He panted from the effort of getting to her side, closing his eyes a moment to rest his head to hers, feeling his daughter shaking and trembling in his arms, her sobs breaking his heart, able to hear the true terror in her voice, feel her fright in how tightly she gripped him.

He looked up only when he heard the whispers begin, his eyes narrowing into slits as he saw his people starting to gather around them, staring in horror at the destruction she had caused with just her voice. All the glass on the street had shattered and rained down on some, cutting quite a few, those nearest to her were still on the ground, struggling to get up, some…like the man lying prone before them…dabbing at their ears as blood trickled out of them. He could see them looking to his daughter, the fear and anger in their gazes.

She was a four year old girl!

She had been grabbed by a drunkard and was scared, she had just reacted as any child would and, just because she had more power to her scream, they were staring at her as though all of this was her fault.

He quickly stood, Rose held tightly in his arms, "Take him," he ordered two of his guards that had rushed over, having been on their way when they saw the man grab the princess but been too late, nodding at the man on the ground, still unmoving, before he turned and strode out of the market, his head high, his expression daring any of them to come to him as their king instead of the father of a very frightened girl.

~8~

"The way they were looking at her!" Ethan muttered harshly as he paced before the fireplace of his study, Ilayda sitting in an armchair watching him with a frown on her face.

She had been in the castle, showing Eva, who was visiting, the gardens, when Ethan had run in only hours ago with Rose in his arms, the little girl practically unconscious, her energy spent, tear tracks staining her cheeks.

They now knew what had happened, the drunkard that had dared grab the princess having woken in the dungeons and been interrogated over his actions. The guards had questioned the patrons of the tavern that had been just beside the glassworker's shop and discovered the man had been there quite a while, ordering drink after drink and growing increasingly hostile, till the tavern owner threw him out. The man had seen Rose standing there and, they didn't know what possessed him to, grabbed her. According to the guards in the dungeon, the man had been grumbling and muttering about a ransom or something.

In his drunken state he seemed to think that kidnapping the princess to demand a ransom was a wise idea.

How very wrong he was, Rose took care of that herself…the man would never hear again.

But Rose, poor Rose, she had been so frightened she'd cried herself into sleep by the time they reached the castle. Ilayda and Eva had taken her to the girl's room and tucked her in, hadn't left the girl's side till she'd woken and been hugged by her mother, another round of tears lulling her to sleep again.

He had explained to the two women what happened, from his point of view, and described what happened after Rose had stopped screaming. He told them of the whispers, of the looks, the way the people had stepped away from him when he tried to carry his daughter away…not out of respect for him as their sovereign, but fear of their princess.

"You cannot blame them entirely," Eva tried to play mediator, standing beside the armchair, "I am in no way condoning it," she held up her hands when Ethan sent her a glare for her words, "I merely mean, from what THEY experienced…it had to be quite a frightening event."

"Imagine what it was like for Rose," Ethan spat, turning to glare into the fire.

"They are not used to her magic," Ilayda spoke, though she sounded more like she was trying to keep herself calm than justify how their people had reacted, "They do not understand her."

"I thought you were giving her lessons," Eva looked at Ilayda, "You said they were progressing."

"Not fast enough it seems," Ilayda sighed, feeling as though she had failed her daughter, that she wasn't as good a teacher as she hoped she might be. She had lost her magic as a siren in leaving the sea, she couldn't instruct her daughter as well as she needed to control her magic, she was trying though…but it seemed it wasn't enough, "She should be able to control her voice by now," she looked at Ethan, the same fears she had had when she began the lessons coming up again, "This should never have happened if she had control of her magic."

"But she doesn't," Ethan sighed deeply, "Perhaps it is time to look to our other options," he shook his head, not having wanted it to come to this, "There must be some way to…to control her magic, to bind it somehow, something that can help her until she has had time to truly gain control of them."

"It will not work," Ilayda murmured, "I have been inquiring over objects such as that," she shook her head, solemn, "They would not work on her. As she grows, every day, her power will grow stronger. It will reach a point where her voice will overpower any objects that could dampen it. This is not like other magic. Just in speaking aloud she is exercising her voice, she is calling forth her magic. If we silence her, she cannot practice. If she cannot practice, she cannot gain control of it. And I will not have our daughter silenced."

"Nor will I," Ethan agreed, "But if we cannot weaken her magic, what else can we do?"

"Take it away."

The adults fell silent at those three words, at the voice it came from. They looked over to the door of the study to see Rose standing there, pale, her eyes red, in her little white dressing gown, a deep frown on her face, tears gathering in her eyes once more.

"Rose…" Ethan began.

Rose just sniffled, "Take my magic away," she told them, her face crumbling, "Please. Take it away. I don't want it."

"My sweet girl," Ilayda moved over to her daughter as she began to cry, picking her up in her arms and holding her tightly, trying to soothe her, "Your music is what makes you special…"

"It's what makes me _bad_ ," Rose shook her head into her mother's neck, "I'm a bad person."

"You are nothing of the sort," Ethan moved to his wife and daughter's side, "Why would you say that?"

"It's what they say," she looked up at her parents, her frightened expression breaking their hearts, "I hear them. They whisper but I hear them. They…they call me demon child and…and little monster and…" she sobbed, "I don't want to be a monster. I don't want to hurt people."

Her parents looked at each other over her head and back to her, "Rose, what happened today was an accident," Ethan leaned forward, trying to look at her but she looked down, "It wasn't your fault."

"I hurt the man," Rose closed her eyes, "I screamed and he got hurt. And the pretty glass is gone, it fell on people, cut them, because of me," she looked at her parents, "I don't want magic that hurts people. Please," she looked between them, "Take it away."

"Rose," Ilayda murmured, stroking her hair, "That is…the magic that would be needed. I do not know that it even exists."

Eva hesitated, seeing the look that Ilayda and Ethan exchanged, one that said they wished they could help their daughter and were devastated they had no way to do it, before she spoke up, "I may know someone that could tell you if it does," she offered, making them look at her, "I have a…friend, an adviser, a confidant. I can ask her to come, to speak with you, if you would like?"

The King and Queen looked at each other a long while, then to their daughter clinging to her mother, and sighed, Ethan looking over at Eva with a small nod, "Please."

~8~

The throne room was empty the next morning, save for the King and Queen, the princess sitting on her father's lap as they waited for Eva's contact to arrive. The woman had had to return to her kingdom to meet with her friend, but told them she would do her best to have her contact meet with them that morning, all they could do was wait.

Just as the light began to creep through the windows with the dawn, a blue light mixed in with the golden hues, a blue light that flittered in through one of the large windows and to the middle of the room.

Ethan tensed at the sight, standing and placing Rose on his throne, taking a few steps forward as the blue light drifted closer to them, and gave a measuring glance as the light faded to reveal a fairy, the Blue Fairy, one of the most powerful around. Eva had not been lying, if there was anyone that would know if any of this was possible, it would be her.

"My Lady," he gave the fairy a bow of the head.

"Your majesty," the Blue Fairy spoke, her gaze drifting to Ilayda and Rose for a moment and back, a look of slight reluctance on her face mixed with discomfort, "Queen Eva has informed me that you had inquiries about your…child," she supplied though she seemed to have wanted to use another word instead of it, "About her magic."

"Yes," he looked over his shoulder and held out a hand to Rose, who hopped off the throne and slowly made her way to her father, taking his hand but standing a little behind his legs, peering up at the fairy, hearing her mother rising as well, "Rose has…had difficulties learning to control her magic."

"And how long has she been practicing?" Blue seemed to look down her nose at the child.

"Almost a year," Ilayda offered, moving to Ethan's side, keeping Rose between them, "She has not improved as quickly as she should."

"Yes, well, it is difficult to hold a half-siren to the standards of a full one," Blue remarked, "It is equally difficult to gauge what is proper development for one that whom we have so few examples to take from."

Ethan's jaw tensed at the hidden meaning in the woman's words, that it was essentially Rose's fault in being what she was that she couldn't master the magic, but also that it was THEIR fault for creating her in the first place, "Is there any way to…help her control her magic?" he asked, wanting to know that before they asked what Rose had requested, "A way to…bind it so that she might learn to control it first?"

"Hmm…" Blue hummed, "It would be difficult to say. As a human she will never have the control a true Siren would. The magic would grow stronger while her grasp of it struggles to keep up. A voice is a tricky thing to control," she looked at Rose a long while, seeming to debate something, "There is nothing we could do to help her control it."

Rose frowned at that, moving a little more behind her father, there was something she didn't like about that fairy lady, the way she spoke…she knew the lady didn't like her either. She couldn't shake the feeling that the woman had just lied to them…but why would she? Maybe she was just trying to find something bad about the lady…

"And, given what you have said, her control would not match her magic for quite some time," Blue continued, "Too long to ensure that the event I was told of not happen again before such a time."

Ethan let out a heavy breath at that, glancing at his wife who gave him a solemn nod, "Rose has requested that her magic be stripped," Ethan told Blue, "Is there a way to accomplish THAT?"

Blue's eyes widened slightly at that, looking back down at Rose peeking up at her from behind her father's legs, "I do believe there is," she said quietly, seriously, almost…absently as well, before she glanced at the king and queen once more, "It will be a dangerous undertaking though. To strip someone of their magic, it is always dangerous."

"But it will work?" Rose asked before her parents could ask what dangers would be present.

"It will," Blue nodded.

Rose looked at her parents, squeezing her father's hand, "I don't want it," she repeated.

Ethan sighed, "Will she be well in the end?"

"Oh yes, of course," Blue nodded, "She will be at peace."

Ethan swallowed hard, "What must we do?"

~8~

Night had come far too quickly in Ethan and Ilayda's opinion. They had spent the day doing as the Blue Fairy instructed, setting things up for that night when the ritual to strip Rose of her magic would take place. While they weren't doing that, both of them had sat with their daughter, wanting to make absolutely sure this was what she really wanted. There was still a chance she could learn to control her magic, with practice and dedication, she could learn to harness her magic…

But Rose was frightened of what she could do, she had only meant to scream in the market, to alert her father or the guards she was in danger, she hadn't meant to hurt anyone. And now the people were afraid of her, they hated her, they would never trust her not to hurt them if she had power to hurt them like that and had no control over it. She didn't want it to happen again and this was the only way to make sure it wouldn't.

It was selfish to say, but a small part of Ethan and Ilayda were…not quite as against this ritual as they knew they should be. It was the tiniest part, something left over from when Rose had been in her mother's stomach. They had spent so long thinking their child wouldn't have the magic the Sirens possessed, because her other had been cut off from the sea. Finding out she possessed magic had been a joy and a fear for them. Joy as it meant her heritage wasn't lost to her, but fear because…there hadn't been a half-siren before her, and they didn't know what it would mean for her, for her magic, and it seemed they had been right to fear. They never ever wanted her to have experienced what she had, to lose control or be afraid of herself, to view her magic as a curse instead of a gift.

And that was what had happened. A small part of them wasn't against this as it would be something that would allow their daughter to be happy, to feel safe and secure. They just wanted their daughter to be happy. They would no more force her to keep her magic when she didn't want it than they would try to force her to be rid of it if she DID want it. Whatever SHE wanted, so long as she was sure, so long as she would be ok, they would support.

Now they were standing in the garden of the castle, the full moon high above in the sky, the stars twinkling like diamonds in the blackness, a faint blue hue to them that came from the light the Blue Fairy gave off as she floated before them, leading them over to an oak tree. It was the perfect place for the ritual, the fairy had told them. The garden, she and the handful of other fairies she had called for assistance would need to be surrounded by nature and life, and they would need a tree with deep roots. They needed an area devoid of weeds, in the open air, and somewhere closed off as well, somewhere that others wouldn't wander or interrupt, and so the garden.

"Sit there," Blue instructed Rose, gesturing to the base of the oak tree, a small splattering of roots sticking out from the bottom of it, making the smallest of openings for her to sit between the roots, "You must be grounded," she explained, "The roots will direct your magic out of you and into the ground, it will spread to the flowers and trees, returning to nature from whence it came."

Rose frowned at that, her magic was from the sea though…

"And us?" Ethan asked, Ilayda in his arms as they stood behind the fairies, "What should we do?"

"Step inside the castle," Blue instructed, "We must be uninterrupted, with only the child before us. The spell will seek those on the ground, direct to those connected to it. You must be within the castle walls, protected by stone."

Ethan tensed at that, not liking the thought of not being there for his daughter, "Rose?"

Rose looked at him, swallowing, not liking that either, not…not really liking this entire thing, but…if it was the only way to get her magic out, "I'll be ok papa," she whispered, "You and mother go."

Ethan nodded hesitantly, turning to go, when Ilayda paused by the Blue Fairy, "If any harm befalls her…" she warned, not even needing to finish the threat for Blue to nod.

"It will hurt," Blue nodded, "To remove anything will hurt, but the end shall be worth it. All shall be safe when this is over."

Ilayda took a deep breath, giving her daughter as gentle and reassuring a smile as she could muster before letting Ethan lead her off.

"Now," Blue waited till she and the four other fairies were alone, "We shall begin."

Rose gasped as she felt something snap out and grab her wrists in a tight grip the second Blue flicked her wand, "What…why…" she looked down to see the roots of the tree had moved to wind around her wrists, holding her down.

"It will hurt," Blue repeated, "We must make sure you do not move from this spot," she eyed the frightened Rose, "You do wish to be free of your magic, do you not? To not be a danger to those around you? To not harm anyone?"

Rose swallowed hard at that, "I do…"

"Then be as still and quiet as you can," Blue told her, lifting her wand and looking at the four others, two on either side of her, "Ready?" the fairies nodded, "Begin!"

~8~

Rose would never be able to recall exactly what happened next, not with clarity, not without others telling her what they knew so she could piece together what fragments existed in her mind.

Whenever she thought back on that moment, all she could feel with any clarity was pain, excruciating, agonizing, all-consuming pain.

She had screamed, despite the Blue Fairy's warnings to be still and silent, she had screamed. For what else could she do? She felt as though her soul were being ripped to shreds within her, that something deep inside her was being pulled to the surface, pulled out of her…and it hurt. It hurt so badly. She couldn't process anything beyond that. It felt like she was on fire, like there was something raging inside her, burning her from within, turning everything inside her to ashes. There was something in her clinging to her, not wanting to let go, and the fairies were pulling, but it wouldn't give up and she was caught in the middle.

She had screamed so horrifying and pained a noise that, from what she had been told, her mother had flown out of the castle on a rampage to get to her child and protect her, her father close behind.

A fairy lost their wings that night.

A rather stupid fairy that gave off a pale orange glow had tried to get between her mother and her…her mother had literally ripped the wings from the fairy's back to get past her and to the tree where she was still held down by the roots.

Her father would tell her that it was the most terrifying moment of his life, seeing the state she'd been in as they rushed into the garden, unable to bear her screams any longer. She had been held to the tree by roots around her wrist, but her body had been arched at an unnatural angle as the fairies continued to try and pull the magic out of her, her eyes rolled back into her head, the roots cutting into her wrist and making them bleed, veins protruding in her neck from the strain of it all.

The second they had reached the line of fairies, made it past the orange one, the spell had to be cancelled or risk it backfiring on the fairies or taking her parents into it.

There had been some sort of fight, some sort of shouting between her father and the Blue Fairy when she'd collapsed against the tree, but still held down by the roots that her mother was trying to hack at with her bare hands to get her out. She wasn't sure exactly what was exchanged, but her father had been furious, had ordered the fairies away and her released.

Blue hadn't seemed happy, from what her mother said, but her father hadn't cared. Blue had tried to tell him that the spell could be cast only once and, because they interrupted, her magic would never be able to be pulled from her again. They had condemned her to suffer with her magic for the rest of her life.

Lying in her room right now…she couldn't begin to feel sad or scared about that.

Her parents had gotten her free, banished the fairies away, and called the physician. She had been pale, unmoving, hardly breathing. The physician had told them she was lucky to still be alive, the trauma she had undergone, the strain on her body…she would have died had they not stopped the ritual when they had.

She closed her eyes, snuggling deeper into her pillow, trying not to wonder if the Blue Fairy had known that when she started the spell. She had to have, her mind reasoned, she knew the spell, she knew how to cast it, she had to know what would happen!

Rose's eyes snapped open when an odd light lit behind her eyelids. She sat up on her bed, gasping and staring in fear at the blue light forming in her room. She shuffled back in her bed, reaching out for a small bell that had been placed on her bedside table to summon her parents or the guards, her voice, from all the screaming, had gone hoarse, she could barely talk after her parents carried her to her room. They had been with her as much as they could be the last week she'd been ordered on bedrest. They told her aunt and uncle, told Snow, that she had practiced too much, used too much of her magic trying to keep what happened in the market from happening again and exhausted herself.

Just as her hand reached the bell, it went flying in the hair and right into the hand of the Blue Fairy…now standing at human height at the foot of her bed.

"You won't need to summon your guards," Blue stated, setting the bell down on the edge of her bed frame, "You're in no danger from me…for now."

Rose frowned at that, pulling a pillow before her like a shield and clutching it tightly.

"Sirens are dark creatures, Rose Red," Blue began, sounding as though she were trying to impart a lesson, yet also sounding as though she was disappointed she had to be there and imparting it at all, "But you are not all Siren, you ARE half human. Embrace that part of you, focus on that, do NOT allow the Siren in you to take over."

"Why?" Rose managed to rasp out, her voice healing a little more to speak quietly with someone, but not well enough to shout.

"Our methods failed," Blue stated simply, "We could not pull the dark magic out of you. It is still within you, and it can still influence you. _You must not let it_. Heed these words, Rose Red, if you _ever_ use your power, willingly and consciously, to harm another human being…" she shook her head, "You shall find yourself counted among the villains, and you _will_ be defeated, as all villains are, by the heroes…perhaps even by your very cousin," Rose's eyes widened at that threat, "Snow White holds the purest heart in the land, she shall become a magnificent hero and you? If you choose the path of darkness, if you use your magic to harm…you shall find yourself alone, hated, feared, and with no one, not even Snow White, standing beside you," she eyed Rose a long while, "Take my warning to heart Rose Red."

"Did you know?" Rose called as the woman glowed blue and became smaller, clearly ready to depart.

"Know what?" Blue inquired.

"The spell…it _was_ going to kill me?"

Blue eyed her for a long moment, "Of course we knew," she stated, confirming Rose's suspicions, "It was a dangerous spell in general. To remove someone's magic. But to remove a magic like yours, so deeply entrenched in your Siren biology? We knew."

"Why…" Rose shook her head, tears in her eyes to know that…that the Blue Fairy was really going to let her die under the guise of trying to remove her magic.

And it was then she realized…Blue had been careful in her wording. She had said there was a danger to remove magic. But she hadn't said it was more dangerous for magic like HERS. She had said that she would be at peace in the end…but had clearly meant it as resting in the peace of death. They never had any intention of helping her control her magic, she realized now, Blue HAD lied about having a means to help her control her magic…because they didn't want her to control it, they wanted her magic gone.

They had said she wouldn't be a danger to anyone any longer if she went through with the spell, and it was true…she wouldn't have been around to harm or endanger anyone.

"Why?" she repeated more firmly.

"Sometimes, to prevent a great evil occurring, sacrifices must be made," the Blue Fairy informed her.

Looking at this little girl cowering in the bed…she almost couldn't believe, wouldn't have believed if she hadn't seen the vision herself, that this girl would grow up to become the true love of the Dark One, that she would become his greatest source of strength and power. Love made many stronger, even those consumed by the dark…she _couldn't_ let that happen. She couldn't let the Dark One become any stronger than he already was, not after her last attempt to weaken him with the loss of his son was nearly successful.

"Remember my warning," Blue rose higher into the air, "Choose to harm another…and you shall forever be a villain."

Rose's lip trembled as she watched the blue light fly out of her room before she turned and curled up in her bed, clinging to the pillow as she felt tears escape her.

She didn't want to be a villain. She didn't want to be one, not when Snow was going to be a hero.

Because heroes and villains were enemies!

And that meant…one day…she would become Snow White's enemy…and she couldn't bear that.

She turned and buried her face into her pillow as she sobbed, making a promise to herself then and there that she wouldn't let that happen, she wouldn't become the villain! She would practice, as hard as she could, every day, every spare second she had. She would practice and she WOULD get control of her magic. She would stay away from the villagers, she would stay away from the other children as much as she could. If she wasn't around them then they couldn't get hurt.

And she vowed, she swore, she would never use her magic, consciously and willingly, to harm another person.

She wouldn't.

She would not be the villain.

She would not be Snow White's enemy.

Ever.

A/N: Poor Rose :'( This chapter broke my heart, but I feel like it explains a lot of what came later in her life. The villagers being frightened of her, because they saw the little control she had over her magic as a child and how easy it was to hurt them with just a sound, seeing her growing older, knowing she was getting more control of it...what would she be able to do to them NOW? :( And her dislike and distrust of the fairies, all stems from Blue being willing to let her die, to trick her into this dangerous ritual 'for the greater good' :( I can say there IS a reason why she didn't recognize Blue when Snow summoned her to help Eva, why she wasn't frightened out of her mind or distrustful of Blue then, we'll find out what it is very soon. And also, the reason why Rose never actually attacked other people. On instinct, when she saw her cousin was in harm's way, she reacted, she couldn't help it, it wasn't a conscious decision to hurt someone, it was instinct. When she became the Piper though, that was when she truly made the decision to use her magic to hurt other people, not caring if she was going to be a villain any longer because 'being a hero' had gotten her only pain and if she was going to survive a dark world she needed to accept her darkness :'(

This might be a little darker than Blue would go in the show, but I fee like if she wasn't even going to try to help Regina before she went evil just because of who Cora was, so she might look at Rose not as this little innocent girl but _what_ she was and what she would be to the Dark One one day :( And she always struck me as pretty shady in the show. In the story, with how she manipulated Baelfire to use the bean to get to our world, I take it as Bae was a source of strength to the Dark One and she knew he wouldn't give up his power to go with his son, she seemed to withhold all the information about the magic bean and the portal from Gold then (and might do it here too) which seemed like she wanted to separate them...but then, centuries later, here comes this little girl that's going to make the Dark One even stronger and she needs to get rid of her. In Storybrooke, with August, I think she was trying to weaken Piper by erasing August's memory of her, in weakening Piper she hoped to weaken the Dark One as well. Very, very shady Blue in this story lol }:)

Just a little warning. I'm going to be doing something a little different in the next two chapters. Since 'Heart of Gold' was mostly an entire flashback, what I'm going to do is the next chapter will be the New York chapter of what happened, and after that we'll get a semi-original 'episode' chapter before we continue into the normal routine, picking up with 'Sympathy for the De Vil' and then a flashback and so on ;)

Some notes on reviews...

Yup, we'll be finding out about New York in the next chapter ;)

Piper's revenge won't involve harming David nope, he might be a part of getting through to Snow how wrong she'd been, if she can make them both realize how hypocritical they were, but he's safe in general :) It'll definitely be more to do with Emma and Henry affecting Snow though yup ;) We'll be seeing August and Gepetto reunite very soon ;)

I'm not sure if I'll be continuing Star Wars or not as most of it would either be an AU of the original trilogy or rewriting the Animated series (which I haven't seen fully yet :( ) I might need to see the new movies coming out to see what I need to keep the same in the original trilogy and what can change with how AU it would be first ;)

In the story David never fell under the sleeping curse nope, Henry made one final attempt so he wasn't immune here :) I think some of it was definitely about her and not Rose, like clearly Piper does not care and eventually didn't care about how her darkness affected her, so it sort of falls more to Snow thinking how it affected herself a little, as well as what she remembered of when her cousin was scared :( I hope Cora was just lying about Lancelot being dead, but at the same time I feel like I'd be frustrated if she was. If she lied then why can't Zelena be lying about her pregnancy (when the writers, I've heard, are against having 'lies' of things they've confirmed as events already), if she didn't lie and they 'take it back' for his death, then why can't they find a way to change Zelena's pregnancy? Lol, I'm really against the pregnancy. Thank you for the picture, I haven't gotten a chance to get on my tumblr yet but I'll keep an eye out for it ;) Unfortunately, I don't think I can post it on my tumblr, I got an inflow a while ago of an anonymous person that seemed to want to flood my tumblr with story recommendations for other people and it really didn't sit well with me (since I can't read stories in the fandoms I write in, I couldn't really say if they were good stories or bad or put my opinion to them) so I've made it a thing where I don't post other people's stories (unless they're related to my stories, like using my OCs or things) on my tumblr from now on because of it, I'm sorry! :'( But I'm sure the picture is awesome! I love making manipulations for episode covers :) I tend to use basic Paint, but I'll definitely check that out :)


	32. Heart of Gold

Heart of Gold

Gold didn't even flinch as Piper's grip on his arm tightened, the girl half panting as they walked up the stairs towards Baelfire's apartment in the middle of New York. It was the first place they had thought to go, to recuperate. There were many reasons to stop there first, to get Bae's things, to rest, to see if he might have accumulated any other magical items. It was near enough to a small shop that Zelena had set up for her monkey man Walsh that one of them could go investigate it for something they needed while the other rested.

It was why, despite his leg hurting and needing to lean on his cane, Gold said not a word as he helped support Piper towards the apartment. He silently cursed Snow White for her actions. The girl should have known that Piper would leave Storybrooke with him, and the petty princess had no idea, none at all, just how detrimental that would be. The way Piper was panting and clutching at her chest with her free hand was evidence enough that things were going wrong, just as he had feared they would, just as they had taken precautions to prevent…had it not been for Snow White.

"Almost there Pip," he murmured to her as they walked slowly down the hall, "Once you're resting, I'll get the potion."

She couldn't come with him, not on this endeavor, she could hardly walk without holding his arm for support and stability, taking her to that shop, not knowing what magical protections might be on it, not knowing if she might need to run or move quickly…he couldn't do that to her. No, he would get her settled and get that blasted potion himself. He knew it had to be at Walsh's shop, Zelena wouldn't have sent the monkey there without precautions and an ample set of potions to use. The one he was thinking of HAD to be among those possessions, it had to be, the alternative was something he didn't even want to consider.

It was a true testament to how poorly Piper felt that she didn't even argue wanting to go with him but nodded shakily in agreement.

They reached the door, Gold pulling out a small key, an object he had kept in his pocket since he had lost his son, just needing something to remind him that his son had had a way to support himself, a home, somewhere safe to go to, that he had made a life for himself and lived it. He slid it into the lock and pushed the door open…but stopped short when he saw that the apartment was not as empty as he expected it to be.

No, instead Robin Hood and his child, the forest maid as well, were standing within. He knew that Marian had been sent over the line, something about the Snow Queen's spell activating again and Robin going with his wife to support her. He had NOT known Regina would send them there, all the way to New York. What was the logic in that? To send a man that had no idea how to operate in the modern world across three states just to get to this apartment? What reason was there to not set him up in the next town over, or in the forests just outside the town, somewhere the man was USED to living and surviving in?

There was no rhyme or reason to it, so he was truly shocked to see the trio inside his son's home, "What the hell are you doing here?!" he demanded.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Robin countered.

Gold tensed, feeling Piper's breath hitch beside him, her grip on his arm tightening, "That's none of your concern," he sneered at the man, "Your concern is removing yourself from the premises. This…this is _my son's_ home!" he shouted, "You're trespassing!"

"No," Robin shook his head, "This is our home now, and we're not going anywhere."

"How _honorable_ of you," Piper muttered, "Taking a dead man's home and claiming it for yourself instead of allowing it to the man's father."

That…didn't quite sound like something Robin Hood would do. Well, steal a home, perhaps, he was a thief, but to demand that THEY leave? When Baelfire was GOLD's son? When this apartment should, by rights, be turned over to his family instead of strangers?

She drew in a sharp breath as a tightness began to form in her chest, something Gold seemed aware of, "Look," the man turned to Robin, speaking quicker, "I really don't have time for this. I've got business to attend to."

"What business could you possibly have in a world without magic?" Robin scoffed, moving to stand in front of his wife and child.

"The business of my happiness," Gold's eyes narrowed at that, "Now get out!"

"Oh, you're here to find the Author, aren't you?" Robin frowned at that.

Piper nearly scoffed at that herself, she and Gold had been happy in Storybrooke, they'd had no need to find the Author outside of helping Henry with his quest with Regina. And why would they look for him in New York? What possible reason could he have to think the Author was HERE? In a world without magic? In a land that was so far away from the characters of his book?

Did leaving a realm of magic affect one's mind?

It made no sense at all to her that Robin would think that they would come to this town, to this location, of all places in the world, to look for the Author.

Because, clearly, there was NO other reason for them to want to stop in _that_ apartment, the one that belonged to Gold's _son_ , the one that contained his possessions. Yes, there was absolutely _no reason_ to come to New York unless it was a search for the Author.

Idiot.

Gold, however, just eyed Robin, "So Regina told you. Of course she did. Well, then you'll also know that if the Author isn't found, Regina won't get her happy ending," he reminded the man, neither confirming nor denying Robin's assumption about why they were there or what their 'happiness' meant, let the man assume all he wanted, more often than not the assumptions of others were what gave them an advantage over their enemies. He didn't need to know that Gold's 'happiness' was HER, her welfare, her health, and not some mysterious Author.

Piper winced as a pain shot through her chest, her left arm starting to tingle as she tried to grab Gold's arm more firmly.

"I'm sorry," Robin shook his head, "But I will not succumb to your games. I know better than to trust you. I have a wife and child. We need this home, and we're keeping it!"

"Rummy…" Piper gasped, hunching forward, her hand clutching at her chest more than before.

"No…" Gold dropped his walking cane to reach for her as she nearly fell to her knees, "Pip!"

Piper could hardly breathe as Gold lowered her to the floor, the pain radiating in her chest spreading and worsening. She barely managed to look up at him before it became too much and her world went black, Gold shouting 'Piper!' being the last thing she heard.

~8~

Gold didn't even look up from the hospital bed Piper was lying in, not taking his eyes off her even as Robin Hood stepped into the room. He didn't care if the man saw him sitting at her bedside, gripping one of her hands in his own, Piper looking over at him with a tired, pained smile while her other hand rested over her heart, the heart monitor beeping a steady rhythm for the moment…though they both knew it wouldn't last.

"What did the doctors say?" Robin asked quietly, seeming to not want to interrupt their moment, but…fearful for the woman.

He might be a thief and hero, and this might be the Dark One and Pied Piper and villains, but Piper was Snow White's cousin, and she…she was kind to the children, back in the Enchanted Forest. He was one of the very few people that would allow Roland to be near the woman, he couldn't very well pull the villain card for keeping his son away from her, not when he allowed Roland near the Evil Queen. Piper had been kind to his son, and for that alone he would have checked on her.

He…had also been a bit useless.

Piper had just collapsed in front of them in the apartment, Gold had caught her and was shouting at them to 'call 911' and he honestly hadn't thought to call on a phone. He didn't know what this 911 thing was, he didn't know if there was something in the apartment that was meant to be labeled 911, or what the 911 would do. Gold had cursed and pulled out a cell phone to call, emergency services he'd been informed was what 911 was. For medical and life threatening situations, something he would remember for his son's sake. He had helped Gold lift Piper onto the small couch in the apartment, Marian keeping Roland back and away from the sight of Piper growing unnaturally pail, from Gold growing angrier the longer it took the 911 to get there.

He hadn't known what to do and he felt a little guilty for it, that he had been no help at all in getting an ill woman help. He needed to be sure she was alright at the very least.

"Well, only what their small minds can comprehend," Gold muttered, "Prattling on about diets and exercise," he scoffed.

"A heart attack," Piper sighed, absently rubbing the area over her heart, "Fitting."

"How so?" Robin frowned.

Piper pulled her gaze away from Gold to look over at Robin, "His heart," she nodded at Gold, "Is in MY chest. And this is a world without magic, which means here, in this world, it beats and affects me as though it were my own heart."

"My heart," Gold swallowed hard at that, sounding very angry with himself over the situation, and Robin assumed he did feel that anger and guilt, because it was HIS heart in his true love's chest, and it was clearly affecting her, "All the dark deeds I've done in my considerably long life, they've taken their toll and poisoned my heart, thickened the blood. Back in Storybrooke, I used the Dark One's magic to protect myself. And we were too late to keep the poison from reaching my heart."

Piper closed her eyes at that, letting out a deep breath, an unsettled one. To free Gold from the dagger, it meant cutting him from not just the limitations of the blade, but the protections it offered as well. He had had to make himself entirely vulnerable to the Sorcerer's Hat, to open himself up as wide as possible for the ties of the dagger to be severed.

It meant that all the protections, all the magic he had used as the Dark One to keep the dark deeds from affecting his heart were removed. The Dark One's power allowed for the Dark One to commit the crimes and other doings he might choose in his life, it was what darkened the heart. But because the dagger was meant to be the only thing that could kill the Dark One, it implied that all the darkness would not touch the heart itself in such a way that it would start to wither and die, as it would with anyone else. Had Regina continued on her dark path, done more and more dark deeds, eventually her heart wouldn't have been able to handle it and would have died. The Dark One could ONLY be killed by his dagger, the darkness infecting his heart would not kill him.

When they had freed him of the dagger's control, it removed that failsafe. The darkness had truly started to infect and affect his heart.

There was a spell, one that he had been preparing, one that was meant to take part in the light of the first dawn after a darkness settled in someone's heart, one that would protect the heart from the darkness, cleanse it in a way, fortify it, make it impossible for the darkness to kill the heart.

They had completed the ritual to cleave him from the dagger, a secondary one was set to be performed in the first light of dawn, one meant to use light to counter the darkness, to nullify its effect on the heart.

But they hadn't been able to even begin to perform it, Snow White had seen to that, banishing him over the townline to a land without the magic to perform the spell. And without HIM in Storybrooke, Piper wouldn't have been able to cast the spell either. Now all that darkness was crippling his heart, poisoning it.

It shouldn't have. He should have been safe, Piper should have been safe. They had it all planned. He had researched what would happen if he did free himself from the dagger and had taken precautions to ensure nothing truly dangerous would happen, that he would be well in the end. He had prepared for it, was ready to cast the spell, had finally been freed…

Only for Snow White to throw not just a wrench into his plans…but condemn her cousin to the agony of suffering a failing heart.

Oh the woman had no idea what she had done in banishing them when she had. The heart was in Piper's chest, he couldn't switch the hearts in a land without magic. And because the magic didn't work quite the same in this realm as in Storybrooke, it seemed that his heart was affecting HER. She was suffering the consequences of her cousin getting in the way.

"And without magic, there's no way to prevent it," Gold finished quietly, squeezing Piper's hand, making her look at him, at the regret and pain in his eyes that she was suffering this because of his heart.

"There is no magic in this world," Robin frowned, understanding that it meant…if nothing was done and done soon, Piper was well and truly going to die.

"True," Gold agreed, "We can't create magic here. But we _can_ use magical items if they were brought from elsewhere," he looked at Robin and stood, staring the man down from the other side of Piper's bed, "Remember something from our past?" he eyed the man, "The Elixir of the Wounded Heart? Something I asked you to steal."

From how Robin's lips pursed at that, he DID remember it. It had been in the Enchanted Forest. He had gone to Robin, the Dark One with a request, a deal that he would save the man's tavern that he owned in exchange for him stealing something from the Wicked Witch. A potion that could mend hearts. He had sent Robin for it, and heard nothing back. Robin had failed and so he had not needed to keep his end of the bargain and save the tavern. He may have been quite a good deal harsher to the man when he'd tried to break into his castle later, just after Piper had joined him, due to that lingering anger at the failed deal.

But he had gotten his revenge in torturing the man, in changing his appearance to the man before him. Gone was the brown haired, brown eyed man that he had dealt with, and in his place was the blonde haired, blue eyed hero. Oh there were charms that could do the same, a particular 6-leaf clover from Oz would do the trick as well, make someone appear as another, he'd found that exact charm on Robin's person when he'd captured him breaking in, had crushed it so Robin would never be able to use it on his deals again…though it had given him the thought to make Robin change permanently, an amusing trick to watch as he tried to explain to his wife and men that he was really HIM.

"Well, I think I might know where some of it exists," Gold continued, "Right here in New York City. And I need you to get it for me."

"And why would I help you?" Robin narrowed his eyes.

"For the same reason you left the woman you love," Gold sneered, "You left Regina because you're a man with a code, a man of honor. And that, despite everything, is the reason why you will save MY true love," he smirked, "You would never allow a woman to die if you could help it."

Robin was silent, but they all knew he was caught.

~8~

Piper grimaced as she looked at the small tray of food that had been brought to her room, a rather plain ham sandwich, a pudding cup, juice, and a rather dry looking brownie. Just the smell of the ham was making her stomach turn.

Gold just squeezed her hand, his phone to his ear as he spoke with Robin, the man having, of course, agreed to go and retrieve the desired potion. HE could have gone and gotten it, he was sure…but after what happened to Piper, he was not going to leave her side, not now, not when there was another gullible hero that could go retrieve the potion for them.

"The Wizard of Oak?" Robin was saying, "That was his cover while in our world?"

"Well, apparently being great and powerful did not mean witty," Gold nearly rolled his eyes, not having time for this, wanting that potion here five minutes ago, "But he was effective. Zelena sent him to New York to keep an eye on Emma. She would have been a fool to send him without precautions, magical charms, potions…"

"And Zelena's no fool."

"No, she wasn't," Gold hated to admit it, "Just find the potion, and bring it back here."

Piper sighed as he ended the call, "Hot chocolate?" she nearly begged him to get her it from the small cafeteria.

He gave her a gentle smile and shook his head, "If that is awful," he nodded at the food, "I can only imagine what their beverages are like."

Piper nodded at that, "I would hate to ruin my taste for it with the hospital version."

Gold chuckled at that, squeezing her hand, seeing her smile didn't match her light tone, "Everything will be fine, Pip," he promised her, lifting her hand to kiss the back of it, "The thief will find the potion, and it will work."

"Will it?" she wondered, expressing her concern, "You said yourself, Rummy, you have lived a considerably long life, and it has been…mere days since we left Storybrooke. If the heart is already reacting like this, will the potion, in a land without magic, truly be able to nullify the effects completely?"

"No," he sighed, hating to admit it, "But it will buy us time."

"Time?"

"To find a way back to Storybrooke."

Her expression darkened, "I do not want to be anywhere near my traitor of a cousin."

"I know," he nodded, "If I could, Pip, I'd whisk you away anywhere you want to go, we could start a life together, I would be happy to. YOU are enough for me," he told her, "You will always be enough. But the only way to stop the darkness overwhelming my heart is magic, and that can only be found…"

"In Storybrooke," she let out a breath, "I do not like this."

"Nor do I," though his pointed look spoke more of how he loathed THIS, being here, in this hospital, with her hurting and in danger because of him, "I WILL find a way to stop this Pip. But everything I had that could help is in my shop."

"And Henry would not be able to send anything to us without crossing the line," Piper rubbed her head at that, thinking of the boy that had called them only hours after they'd left the town, wanting to know that they were ok. They had promised to call him once they were settled somewhere…it seemed that was on hold for the moment, she didn't want to worry him by telling him she was in hospital. If they were going to return back to the town, she would tell him when she saw him, so he might see she was alright…and she would be alright.

Robin would get the potion, she would drink it, and they would have the time they needed to fix his heart.

~8~

Piper blinked her eyes open from where she had been drifting asleep to the feel of Gold gently stroking her hair when his caress suddenly stopped and he stood, "You found it."

She turned her head to see Robin step into the room, a small bottle of a red liquid held up in his hand, "Indeed," he quickly stepped back as Gold held out his hand for it, "I've made good on my promise, we need to strike a deal."

"Well, make it quick," Gold nearly growled. He had been trying to keep Piper calm and relaxed, but he had noticed, despite her drifting off, that the heart rate on the monitor had remained at the same speed.

"Before this potion heals her," he glanced at Piper and back, "You will both move on. Your son's apartment belongs to me now, and I never want to see either of you there again."

Gold nearly glowered at that, but he didn't even need to glance at the state Piper was in before he said, "It's yours."

"Rummy," Piper reached out for his arm, "Do not become a desperate on," she warned him quietly, knowing how much they had both favored those sorts in their deals. The ones willing to do absolutely anything to get what they wanted. She knew how much the apartment, his son's possessions, meant to him, and she was loathe to let him pass the opportunity of reclaiming it away just for her.

"I am not Pip," he promised her, putting his hand over hers on his arm, "I assure you," he gave her a small smile before nodding at Robin, "Take it. Now give me what's mine," he held his hand out again.

Robin stepped forward and pressed the bottle into Gold's hand, "Good riddance, Rumpelstiltskin," he glanced between the two of them, "Our dealings are done."

"Goodbye, thief," Gold muttered, waving the man off and out of the room before he turned to Piper, uncorking the bottle and handing it to her.

Piper downed the contents, before starting to cough, "This…this is not a potion," she nearly gagged.

"What?!" Gold stared at her.

"I have spent much time in this world," she wheezed, the coughing making her heart rate speed up, "That is no potion. It is cough syrup," she would know, she had had to buy the cherry flavored ones for August, he wouldn't take any other flavor…and she'd had to demonstrate it wasn't poison by taking the medicine first before he would accept it.

It tasted exactly like that.

"I don't understand…" Gold looked at the door and back at Piper, his mind racing at the possibility that Robin Hood, a hero, may have just double crossed them.

"It's simple really," a voice said a moment before Marian walked into the room, "I tried to convince Robin to let you die, but he just wouldn't listen to reason. So I simply switched the vials," she grinned, seeming far too pleased at the state of things before her, the Pied Piper lying helpless in a bed, suffering, while the Dark One was powerless to help her, "Cough syrup, just as she said."

"Why are you doing this?" Gold nearly growled at her, "We've done you no harm!"

"That's not exactly true," Marian tugged lightly at a necklace around her neck on a long chain, holding up the trinket on the end and twisting it…

And before their eyes, her entire form shimmered, leaving none other than Zelena standing in her place.

"Zelena…" Piper gasped, wincing as a pain shot through her heart, making her grip at her chest.

"How is this possible?" Gold stared at her, seeming genuinely shocked that the woman was alive before them.

"Imported magic, dear," Zelena shrugged, "Never travel between realms without it. You remember the six-leaf clover from Oz, don't you?" she waved it before Gold's face, "It's quite the effective glamour spell."

"No, no," he shook his head, "We killed you!"

"Mmm," she hummed, taking a step or two closer to the bed, "You _tried_. When you stabbed me in that jail cell, I didn't die," she nearly laughed as Gold grabbed his cane and held it before him as though to keep her away from Piper with it, she stopped, but more out of amusement than threat, "My life force simply fled my body before it shattered. I had somewhere to go. Or should I say some _time_?"

"You went through the time portal with Emma," Piper wheezed, before letting out a pained cry that had Gold gripping her hand, torn between trying to find a way to comfort her and keeping Zelena back.

"That I did," Zelena sighed in memory, "And when I realized what Emma had planned for Marian, well, I knew I had to get in while the getting was good. So I bided my time, watching Emma and her one-handed lover scurrying about, trying to right their mistakes, and when I saw they planned on bringing Robin's _wife_ back, I mean," she started laughing, ignoring how the heart monitor started to pick up, too excited to reveal the genius of her plan, "Inspiration struck! And then _I_ struck. For a few careless moments, they left her unattended…and that was all I needed. I killed her. And then I became her," she gestured at herself, "I took her form. Do you know, it wasn't easy not being me, but knowing that it would ruin Regina's happiness? Oh," she inhaled deeply, proud, "I mean, that made it worth every dull moment in her body…"

"Marian never made the trip to Storybrooke," Gold realized, lowering his cane as Piper started to gasp for breath, leaving him on choice but to turn to her.

"No," Zelena laughed, completely at ease, despite the heart monitor starting to go crazy, "No, dear. It was me all along. And, you know, no one's been the wiser. Not her husband, not even her child. I mean, she's as dead as, well your son."

"Pip?" Gold reached for Piper, looking between her and the monitor as it sped up to a startling speed, "Help!" he shouted, trying to get attention of the nurses, "Help!"

Zelena though, just continued to stand there and smirk at his plight, "Oh, that's right. I suppose that means you never avenged his death. That you failed him…" she eyed Piper as the rate started to drop quickly, "Much like you failed HER too. Oops," she smirked, just as a PA system started to call out for a Code Blue.

"HELP!" Gold cried as the rate suddenly stopped to a single, deadly note, just as the nurses and doctors ran in.

"Oh!" Zelena cried out mockingly, stepping back so she would be out of the way yet in full view of the Pied Piper's life ending, the Dark One's heart breaking, "Oh, please! Help her!"

"I need the crash cart!" one of the doctors shouted, a nurse trying to pull Gold away as he saw them pulling her shirt open, sticking electrical pads to her chest and side and charging the defibrillator controls.

And he knew what that meant, they were trying to start her heart once more.

"Pip…" he shook his head at the horror of the situation.

"Clear!" the doctor quickly pressed the controls to the pads, Piper's back arching up slightly.

But the flatline remained.

"NO!"

~8~

" _Get out_."

The two words were spoken with a deadly intent, the grip Gold had on his cane left no room to the imagination that he wouldn't rise from where he was sitting and beat the person intruding on him and Piper to death with it.

Zelena just laughed and stepped further into the room, a coffee in her hand, "Ooh, would you look at the magic in this world, Rumple," she nodded at Piper's prone form, "A tube that breathes for you. Well, her predicament does look painful."

Gold's grip on his cane tightened at her words. Piper was lying in the hospital bed, unconscious from the latest 'heart attack,' a tube down her throat that was helping to keep her alive. Her heart was beating again after three shocks of the defibrillator, she hadn't woken since the event…but she was alive. He hadn't left her side, hadn't even realized Zelena had left till the woman was back.

"I am in NO mood Zelena," he sneered at her, "Remove yourself from this room…"

"Or what?" she smirked, "What are you gonna do, Dark One? Tell me, really do tell me, what could you possibly do against me in a world without magic?"

Before she could even blink, Gold was out of his chair, shoving her against the wall of the room, the door thankfully closed after she walked in, pressing his cane against her neck, "Don't test me," he glared at her.

Zelena narrowed her eyes and reached up to push the cane back just enough to breathe, Gold might have surprised her, but here he was a weak old man and she was a fit woman in her prime, "Do that and you won't hear how I can save your precious little fish."

Gold's lip curled up in a snarl, but he stepped back, his cane tip on the ground once more, but he stood protectively before Piper, keeping himself between her and Zelena, "What?" he demanded.

She hummed, sipping her coffee that had somehow not spilled from the force of the shove, "Ooh do let me take my time telling you, _dearie_ ," she mocked, "There's a time I would have relished in this, you know. And with your vendetta against me for the death of your son? Wow. This is…this is true irony. She kills your son, your heart kills her…"

"Zelena!" he snapped.

Zelena rolled her eyes, "Yes, yes," she huffed, "My clever little plan…"

"I don't care what your plan is," he cut in.

"Ooh but you should," she grinned, "Because my plan will give your fish the relief she needs…IF you assist me in seeing it through."

Gold glowered at her, "What is it?" he bit out, wanting nothing more than to impale her with his cane. But he had enough soundness of mind left to know that the only thing that could help Piper now was the potion, one that Zelena had swapped out for cough syrup, one that she likely still had possession of.

"Well, it's changed a bit now that I know why you two came to New York," she laughed, "I _was_ going to use my little Marian-glamour to steal Robin's heart, to make him fall in love with me, to steal Regina's fated true love," she rolled her eyes at the notion of it, "How ultimate, you know?" she considered, "I think that loss could finally be a wound that doesn't heal," she sighed, "Sadly, it didn't take. I can't win his heart. Something is standing in the way like a like a stone wall. Could be fate. Could be true love or some other bias in the universe towards those who deserve happiness. But whatever it is, I am certain that there is _an author_ who can simply force a happy ending for me," she took another sip of coffee, making him wait on her words, "And if there's anyone that could find him and bend him to their will, well, my money's on the Dark One. Or, if he fails, his little fish has a history of swaying people to do her bidding," she eyed Piper, "Poor little fish, dying on dry land…"

"You want us to force the Author to give you a happy ending," Gold stated, cutting through her long winded speech.

"Well, you'd also have to stop trying killing me, of course," Zelena added, smirking as she adopted his voice to mock him, "But, dearie, what does old Rumple get out of it?" she chuckled, resuming her normal voice, "I mean, you _are_ aware I have a certain potion that fixes hearts," she reached into her pocket with her free hand and pulled it out, "I don't know if it could cure that little lump of coal you've got stashed away in your little fish's chest though. Might get you back home," she lifted her eyebrows quickly, "Shall we find out?"

Gold held out his hand for the potion.

But Zelena tutted him, "Your fish's life for mine," she affirmed, "That seems rather fair. Do we have a deal?"

Gold's jaw clenched at the very thought of it, of having to join sides with the woman that was truly responsible for his son's death, for the torment she had caused him, for the torture…

But he could hear it, the steady beeping of the heart monitor.

His true love's life was in danger, and he would do anything for her.

"Deal."

Zelena grinned and plopped the little bottle into his hand, "Best of luck to you, dearie," she taunted, taking one final sip of her coffee and sauntering out of the room, no doubt in her mind that he would do exactly as she wanted and secure her her happy ending in payment for his fishy love surviving to see another day.

Gold glared at her till she was out of the room before he quickly moved to Piper's side, uncorking the bottle. He hesitated removing the breathing tube, but knew he had to do it, she had to drink the potion for it to work.

And if it didn't, if Zelena double crossed him again…there would be no power on this earth that would keep him from ending her miserable life once and for all.

~8~

Piper was leaning heavily on Gold as they stepped out of the hospital that very night. Her chest didn't burn as much or tug as much, she didn't feel much pain there, more a twinge of tenderness, and she was exhausted from the ordeal. But Gold had administered the potion to her, she had recovered quickly and she hadn't wanted to spend another moment in the hospital if she could help it. So they had checked her out and were ready to find a hotel to stay in when they spotted Robin Hood waiting by the hospital's main sign, the man seeming to see how tired Piper was for he walked over to them, a box in hand, instead of making them walk to him.

"I thought you never wanted to see us again," Gold eyed the man, winding his arm around Piper more as she trembled against him slightly, still very weak from the entire situation.

"Well, after all the trouble I went to," Robin started speaking to Gold, but looked at Piper in the end, "I wanted to make sure you were well."

"Define 'well,'" she muttered.

Robin nodded, seeing how pale and worn she looked, "I um…I wanted to give you something," he added, focusing on Gold once more, holding the box before him, "It's from the apartment, your son Baelfire's things. There wasn't much left. I thought you might want to have it."

Gold nodded but seemed unsure of how to take the box. He had his cane, his arm was around Piper, neither of which he was or could let go of and Piper was still very weak, "Would it be agreeable if I picked this up at a later date?" he inquired of Robin, "We just want to find a place to rest."

Robin seemed to understand his veiled words, that they were in no condition to be lugging around a box after all of this, "Yes, of course," he nodded, "But just this ONCE."

Gold nodded, "You have our number, call us when your wife isn't around and we shall take the box then. I doubt she'd want the 'monsters' stepping foot in your apartment again."

Piper frowned as she saw a shadow of an odd emotion drift past Robin's face at the mention of his wife, "Problem?"

"No," Robin shook his head, "No, not with the arrangement," he reassured them.

"Your wife then," Piper wondered idly just how much the man realized was wrong with the woman, that she truly wasn't his wife, how much they could get away with hinting at without breaking the deal Gold had made with Zelena. Right now she was too weak and tired to care if Robin was in Zelena's clutches, he wasn't HER true love. Though you would expect a man to be able to tell his wife wasn't his wife.

She could guess why SHE hadn't known, whey she hadn't realized. Gold had explained the 6-leaf clover of Oz to her, had mentioned that he'd seen it in Zelena's possession in Storybrooke when she still had a hold on his dagger. She had likely used the dagger as a totem to bespell the charm to also glamour her song to replicate Marian's. It made somewhat sense, the heart that Regina had ripped out of the frozen woman, according to Henry, had been glowing a bright red, not the dark heart Zelena would have had. If the glamour could hold with an object removed from a person and separated from her, it wasn't a far cry to believe it could glamour a spell as well, especially if the Dark One's dagger had been used to do it.

Robin sighed, "I wished for my Marian to come back every day," he spoke, not sure who else he could really express his concerns to, tell anyone else that he was Robin Hood and his wife, Maid Marian, had come back from the dead via a time travel portal to the Enchanted Forest and…well, he'd be thought mad. Right now, he supposed, the two villains before him owed him enough to listen for getting them the potion and returning Baelfire's possessions, "And then when she did…"

"You were in love with another woman," Gold cut in.

"It's more than just that," he argued, "She's…she's like a stranger to me now."

"Why did you marry her in the first place?" Gold asked, hoping that the man would think on what that Marian was like, and realize the woman before him was nothing like the one in his memory. If he could remember why he married her, he would remember the marriage, how it was like, how it was different now…

"Cos I loved her," Robin said simply.

"And you thought she was gonna be your happy ending."

"Yes."

"Is she?" Piper eyed him, noting how he hadn't said 'truly loved her' or that Marian was his 'true love.' She didn't particularly care what Marian was, but…soulmates, from what she knew, were far more profound a bond. She would think that Regina was more likely to be his happy ending than Marian…and if they could remind him of the woman, perhaps he could get out of Zelena's clutches and find himself and Roland another place to be.

She didn't particularly care what happened to Robin or not…but anything that would put a damper in Zelena's plans would be something they very much wanted. Zelena had only said that she wanted them to get the Author to write her a happy ending. She said nothing about Robin being there during it or being a part of it or them needing to help her with her revenge against Regina. Anything to hinder those plans they would take.

"I don't know," Robin admitted quietly.

"Well," Gold sighed, "Maybe you should take a piece of advice from a man who has pushed away more than his fair share at happiness because it never used to be enough," he glanced at Piper at that, the soft smile on his face as he looked at her telling them both that Piper was the exception, she and Baelfire, they would have been more than enough, he had learned from his mistakes and when his latest chance at happiness came around in the form of a half-siren on the run from the Evil Queen…he took it, "If it's within your grasp, if you know where it is and who it's with," he gave Piper a light squeeze, "Then you should run to it, grasp it, and never let it go."

Piper gave him a gentle smile and rested her head half on his shoulder, half on his chest for a moment.

Robin nodded at that, seeming deep in thought before he turned to walk back to the apartment.

Gold let out a long breath, "Come on Pip," he murmured, "Let's get you out of the cold…"

They had taken barely three steps away from the hospital when a voice called out behind them, "Ms. Lynn!" the doctor that had been assigned to Piper ran out of the sliding doors and over to them, "Ms. Lynn, what are you doing?"

"Leaving," she stated bluntly, having no more patience and just wanting to get somewhere warm, somewhere that didn't smell like sterility and bleach, to sleep.

"I'm afraid I can't allow that, Ms. Lynn," the doctor, an older man with thinning, graying hair and a small mustache, shook his head.

"Look," Gold huffed, "We're all checked out, she has every right to leave if she wants to. And she does."

"I understand that," the man sighed, "But I would not recommend it. You've suffered two major heart attacks," he turned back to Piper, "The last one was nearly fatal. You should stay overnight for observations. It really would be in your best interest to remain here, we received your test results back, Ms. Lynn," he pulled a clip board he'd been holding under his arm up to flip through the papers, "Your bloodwork…another attack like the last one could be…severe and cause much more damage than I think you realize…"

Gold frowned, "What is it?" he shook his head, "Is there something else wrong?" there shouldn't be, he might have said it was thickening his blood, but it was more metaphoric, the heart was just that and it was failing, but it was safe for now.

"No, no, nothing's wrong," the doctor corrected quickly.

"Then _why_ are you insisting I stay another night?" Piper demanded, shifting in place.

"Ms. Lynn…" the doctor looked at her, serious and concerned, "You're pregnant."

A/N: AHHHHH! Dark Rose baby! ^-^ I kind of want to call it the Little Golden Rosebud lol :)

...oh dear god though, the heart attacks, the strain and stress...her heart failing...Snow...what did you DO!? O.O

And now, some things about the chapter...

Small change to the events of the show. I had established that in the Forest Gold, as punishment for Robin breaking into his castle, changed his appearance from the Tom Ellis to our current Robin Hood. Here, Robin DID manage to steal the charm, but he was caught breaking into the Dark Castle before he could activate it, having thought, from staking out the castle, that Gold and Piper weren't there. Gold found it and destroyed it, but the charm sparked his thought to punish Robin with a new face later ;) I sort of feel like the writers took an easy way out in adding the charm in just to explain Zelena, there are probably WAY more charms and spells that would do the exact same thing, but they just wanted a way to explain why Robin looked different and stuck the charm in to also explain Zelena as Marian. So I wanted to make it a little more detailed than in the show, less of a way out ;)

Also, the dagger and Gold's failing heart. In the show it was implied it was a culmination of all his dark deeds, the loss of Baelfire, and the loss of Belle and her sending him over the line that caused his heart to start to fail him. Here, he's handling his loss of Baelfire a little healthier, talking about it more, he hasn't lost Piper, and a few of his dark deeds she helped him with, sharing the burden and the darkness of them. My twist for that was the dagger. I felt like if the Dagger is what makes the Dark One the Dark One then maybe the dagger is also what sort of keeps the person that takes the power from being taken over by the 'darkness' itself as Gold implied in the show, with him dying, the darkness would do just that. In cleaving himself from the dagger, Gold lost that protection the dagger would have given him and his heart started to fail because of the darkness trying to take over.

I took the idea that the Sorcerer's Apprentice and what he did with Emma's darkness as inspiration. If there's a spell that can pull the darkness out of someone, and there are various forms of protective spells that can keep dark magic out and protect hearts in general (like Regina protecting Henry's from being removed), then perhaps there would be a spell that could protect a heart from darkness poisoning it. With Piper having his heart in her chest, I could see him being far more serious about finding a way to keep his heart safe before he went through with freeing himself from the dagger. What would be best to counter the dark but the light? The first light of the day I felt would be something needed in a spell like that, a spell that would have protected Gold's heart and held the darkness at bay. Snow sending him over the line before he could accomplish that meant that his heart had missed its chance at being protected :(

Even without my twist/explanation for Gold's heart failing, even if it was the same reason as in the show and not Snow's timing...in the story someone would have still banished him (probably Snow), and Piper still would have gone with him, and Piper still would be suffering the 'heart attacks.' So even if Snow's timing wasn't the issue, Snow still would have been the reason for Gold's banishment and Piper's pain and the danger to the baby...if the baby's still there after 2 severe heart attacks :'(

Virtual cookies to those of you that were suspicious of Piper's tiredness and being out of breath, of her little mood swings, of her being a little more weepy than normal, her appetite, and sense of smell and other things, she WAS pregnant! I feel like a lot of it is something that, if you don't know you're pregnant, you COULD come up with excuses and justifications for why it's happening. Like for Gold it didn't even register that Piper was pregnant when she had a harder time keeping up with David and Emma going after Hook in the woods with the Snow Queen, if they didn't know she was pregnant or even suspect it, they would find other reasons to explain things and yet all the while she was pregnant ;)

Slight rant to follow about Robin Hood, with spoilers for the rest of the season (show-wise, not story-wise):

I'll be the first to say that I absolutely hate and am disgusted by the plot twist the writers decided to take with Zelena and Robin :( Like it makes me SO uncomfortable I was actually dreading Season 5, but I'm trying to trust the writers and hope they have something planned, some twist or something, to deal with that little plot :(

I fully understand that Robin is a victim of Zelena's manipulations, that he thought it was 'forever' that he'd be away from Regina, and he was trying to do right by the person he thought was his wife. I, in no way, am blaming Robin for the trauma that happened to him when the 'shock value' twist was revealed. He consented to be with his wife, NOT Zelena, and that is Rape by Deception. He is a victim in that sense.

That said, he did choose to sleep with Marian. He did choose to have sex with Marian just days after telling Regina he chose her, and I'm not ok with that either. I do fully understand a man wanting to try and make a marriage work, but I do not understand how it goes right to sex (or how it was necessary to go straight to sex) so quickly after telling both women that he picked Regina. Which leads me to think there HAS to be something else going on, that Zelena did something to him, either in NY or Storybrooke, a potion or a charm or a spell or took his heart or something. Because there are SO many inconsistencies and reasons for that twist to NOT have happened if Robin was in his right mind or in control of himself and his heart.

1\. How did Marian know that Baelfire was the name of the Dark One's son? In the episode, Robin remarked they were going to the Dark One's son's apartment, and 'Marian' knew instantly it was _Baelfire_ and knew the story of his banishment? Not even Robin knew who Baelfire was in the Forest. For that matter, not even Belle knew till she wore Gold down into telling her. No one seemed to know who Baelfire was to the Dark One, only very few people knew, and I doubt it was Marian or Robin being privy to those facts.

2\. Robin himself said that Marian telling him to let Gold die was NOT his Marian.

3\. Robin seemed to be testing her with asking her, repeatedly, to tell him what he told her in the Forest when they became outlaws, which makes me think he might be a little suspicious. The last time he asked, it seemed clear that Marian was trying to cover up that she didn't know by telling him to say it first.

4\. How, in the middle of sleeping with Marian, did he NOT see the 6-leaf clover charm? She HAD to wear it or else the glamour wore off. If she took it off, now he knows she's Zelena. If she wore it, he'd see it and know she wasn't Marian. Unless she used another magic object or something which just gets a little more like back tracking to cover a mistake :/

5\. Robin _had_ to have already spoken to Marian before they left, made it clear he was picking Regina as a courtesy to his (ex)wife to talk to her about what he was going to do before talking to Regina, and that being with her would have been a lie. If he was trying to do right by his (ex)wife, being with her after he already told her it would be a lie to do it was not the way to go about it.

6\. If he was sticking to his honor, sleeping with a woman he was not IN love with, regardless if she was his (ex)wife, was NOT honorable.

7\. He told Regina that to be with Marian would be NOT be something he wanted to set as an example for his son, that the best thing to do was follow his heart, so why go back on it now?

8\. There were other ways to support and be there for his (ex)wife that did NOT involve sleeping with her. He saw Emma and Regina co-parenting Henry, he knew how it worked, that you don't have to be married to be good parents.

9\. If we take the scenes as a literal sequence, it was just about 3 days since Robin left Storybrooke, since he told Regina he picked her...and he fell into bed with another woman? Robin is too honorable to sleep with a woman he didn't have a genuine and deep and IN love love for. (and on that note, in a later episode he claims that he and Regina talked about him trying to move on and focus on his family...I highly, highly doubt that Regina told him to have sex with his (ex)wife days later. I could see her trying to push him to give his marriage another try, but I can't see Robin actually AGREEING to it, especially not when, as his (ex)wife was literally dying, he still couldn't bring himself to give his 'love' for Marian another try. If he couldn't make himself love his (ex)wife when her life depended on it, why would he make himself sleep with her when her life did NOT depend on it? For that matter, it could have been a test of faith in Regina as well for him to NOT try to rekindle the marriage, to show that he trusted she'd be able to find a way to break the curse around the townline, to prove that he would wait for her and hold onto hope, to prove that, even apart, his heart only belonged to her.)

10\. It made 0 sense to me that an honorable man that picked his dead (ex)wife over his soulmate would fall into bed with HER while his (ex)wife was frozen...unless there was something going on. If 'Marian' took Robin's heart, let's say after the diner, she would have been able to control him to break it off with Regina, under the guise of his honor. If she was frozen, she couldn't control his heart any longer, which explains why he went back to Regina when she was frozen. His heart was truly able to lead him there because it was free of control for the moment.

11\. IF the heart theory was right...Zelena would STILL be able to use it in NY, because, as Gold said, so long as it was taken in a world with magic, it could be used outside that world as well. Zelena could have resorted to using the heart in NY too, which explains him hopping into bed with her days after leaving Regina. She only said she hadn't been able to WIN his heart, not that she hadn't already taken it by force.

12\. Belle has shown, in the show, that you could be without your heart and not realize a thing is off, that it's possible to not even remember it being taken. Maybe Robin's questionable actions were done because he didn't have his heart in him, so it was easier to fall into bed with his (ex)wife than hold onto hope without a heart. Like Regina said, you _can_ feel just not fully, maybe that 'not fully' was enough for Robin to break his code to be with Regina and then break his choice to be with Marian. A man like Robin wouldn't flip flop, I think, if he had a sure heart in his chest and felt fully, some things that seemed to happen too quickly could be explained in that he didn't feel the effects fully, making it easier for him to do those things.

13\. Why wouldn't he wait? The curse that brought everyone back to the Forest was meant to last 'forever.' He saw Regina suffer with the knowledge she would be parted from her son forever...and that forever lasted a year. Why would he think, even for a second, that this 'forever' would actually last forever-forever? Why wouldn't he think that all the heroes in the town would find a way to break it at some point? Why would he think it was forever when every other time something was 'forever' it never lasted? He had SO much faith in Regina to save Marian even when Regina told him it was impossible, he never lost faith in her...but NOW he does? (for that matter, why New York? I never understood going there instead of just one town over where it was simple and likely cheaper and closer incase the curse did break).

Sorry for the little rant, there were just so many, SO MANY, things that were huge red flags to me that I just can't help but think that something _had_ to be going on with Robin to explain why he didn't notice these things and why he seemed to flip-flop between Regina and Marian as much as he did. The Robin we see in Season 4, to me, was not the same Robin that had been written and portrayed in Season 3 at all. And there HAS to be a reason behind it. Or I'm hoping there is. If the writers can truly mess up a character THAT badly...I'm really scared for Season 5 then :(

Some notes on reviews...

That's understandable :) I've had quite a few conversations with my parents where we're both very vocal about exactly how my brother is screwing up in his life, so the conversation about Snow felt natural to me lol :) My brother's now engaged to a lying harpy that literally is sucking his happiness out of him but he thinks they're 'meant to be together' despite the fact she loathes our family and would like nothing more than for us to either die or him to cut all ties with us...we discuss how he's screwing up quite a lot. When Henry's mind was wiped, he also had no idea why Walsh disappeared or that the man was using him or Emma, now that he has his memories back, I feel like he'd naturally be a little wary of men around Emma especially ;) We'll have to see about the finale ;) I think that for Snow and David, they'd be a little safer about the reverting, Hook and Regina were villains actively trying to be heroes, David and Snow never actively tried to be villains so I don't think the others would be against them for not reverting to heroism in the finale as much as they'd never really been converting before then, they didn't really have the dual natures that Hook and Regina did where they could go either way, I think :) I think Blue's done some fairly suspicious things, for a beacon of good to lie to the beloved Snow White about the wardrobe was pretty shady, not helping Regina when she was still innocent and good just because of who her mother was and because Gold was targeting her was pretty cruel of her, in a way she almost helped create the Evil Queen as much as Rumpelstiltskin did. I think a lot of Blue's actions, in what she doesn't say, or how she treats others can make her seem shady. If we don't get an explanation in the show, I do have an idea for an original sequel to this story that would explain it once the show is over ;)

I actually think Blue doesn't realize how her speech means she's a villain too, or if she does she's rationalizing that SHE is a hero and she's hurting someone for 'the greater good' :( Much like Snowing tried to justify and rationalize what they did to Maleficent and her child, what they did was horrible and evil, but they tried to say that the baby was never going to be 'good' because it was in a dragon egg and had Maleficent as a mother, that their 'harming' the child was to protect Emma and Emma would be a great hero because of it, so it was 'the greater good' :(

I hope they look more into the fairies too, there's a lot that needs to be explained about them lol :) I agree, the adults seem to think that certain deals, like the ones with 'good' magical beings are never going to hurt people or turn out the way they don't want it. Like they probably hear about how cunning and deceptive the Dark One is in his deals but think 'oh this is a fairy god mother! She's here to help me not hurt me!' not realizing magic of any kind requires a price :( I don't understand why it's so hard for them to change opinions too, I guess it's like the medieval theme in general, back then things were so focused on religion and what was good and evil was so clear cut, who had power and right over people and who didn't :( I fully agree about Henry. If my brother acted like he did to my mother, she would have laid down the law and put the fear of god in him for his attitude. One of my friends who is adopted, absolutely refused to watch OUAT after the first few episodes because of how Henry treated his adoptive mother, how he kept calling her evil and not his 'real' mother, she was so completely disgusted with how the writers portrayed the adoption situation and how they basically had Regina say flat out Emma signed away her rights to Henry...yet Emma was still able to have a say in Henry's life, and come in and be the parent without anyone actually legally forcing her away. I mentioned the start of season 2 to her and she FLIPPED about how Henry's biological family thought they had any right at all to pull Henry away from his adoptive mother and keep her from being around HER son. Like I have never seen her that mad as when she actually looked up the episodes to see what I was talking about, she was just furious that they would give the bio-family that much power after Regina was legally his mother for years and they had no legal right at all to do what they did :( She still refuses even now to watch the show because of how Henry treated his real mother in favor of Emma :( I had an issue also with how, in the show, Henry will find out that 'good' did something evil (like with Snow tricking Regina into murdering Cora or Snow and what she and David did to Lily and Emma) and he'll be upset for like half an episode, or not even shown his reaction, and then forgive and forget. He finds out his mother, the woman that raised him his entire life and showed him nothing but love did something bad in her past _28 years ago_...and suddenly the last 10 years of his life are out the window and she's evil and has to be defeated? The curse was meant to take away happy endings, ok...but does he SEE the world they're living in? The modern conveniences, the healthcare, the education, the technology, yes the curse condemned them to SUCH a bad life that it really holds up the name of 'curse,' like it's ironic that a curse meant to harm everyone gave them a better quality of life in our world. I wonder if it might have been a hidden nod to Regina not being quite a true villain all along that all the improvements came from her curse, in which case, shame on Henry too. He can forgive the heroes that had no say in his life for 10 years, because they're heroes, but not the woman that raised him get's no sympathy for like 4 seasons? I really feel, as the show goes on, that the writers are losing control of their characters and making changes or inconsistencies with them that just hurt the story :(

I hated that about Blue too, just because of who Cora was she turned down the chance to save her daughter? :( If she'd helped Regina then, maybe she wouldn't have become the Evil Queen. Which makes me wonder, if Blue knew about Regina's fate...wouldn't she have tried to stop it for the sake of good, unless she WANTED Regina to be evil...but why? Shady, shady blue. I have a theory about it, and if the show doesn't touch on Blue before it officially ends, I might just do an original sequel to this story to explore my theory ;)

I think Blue, in her good and evil are black and white mentality she seems to have, doesn't think the Dark One has the capacity to be human anymore, which is wrong of her to assume, but she probably thought Rose would just make him darker and worse :( We'll find out in the next chapter if Rose's parents found out what Blue was truly intending to do or not or why ;) Yup, that's why she didn't defend herself, she's had Blue's voice in the back of her head telling her if she hurts anyone, even if they're hurting her, in a conscious choice to do it, she'll be a villain, not a healthy thing to make a child think that they can't fight back if someone's hurting them :( I'm going to rewrite a bit of that chapter yup, just have to find time to do it ;) It's definitely not fun, because I'm sure, especially for OUAT after the season 3 finale that there were SO many stories about how they'd deal with the Marian situation before season 4 started that I'd die to read but had to hold off so that it wouldn't affect my stories :( OMG thank you! I was channel surfing yesterday and saw I missed the Tut marathon of it, I'm so glad it's airing again, I really want to watch it, thanks! :)


	33. Heart of Stone

A/N: **I'M BACK!** And I'm so sorry if I worried/scared anyone with the lack of presence online :'( Things went from calming to completely crazy shortly after I posted on tumblr my plans to return Mid-September. My sister moved out, my dad got a pneumonia, I quit my job, got a new job, started Master's courses online, began a tiny candle 'company' for supplemental income, got a tutoring position, and it's just been insane.

But I am back now! There will be a few changes to when I'll post and what I'll be posting, I have more about that at the ending A/N and I'll be posting a more detailed schedule on tumblr either today or tomorrow about it, but most importantly is, for the most part, I'll be updating every other day due to the new responsibilities in my life. I'll also be trying to spend the next few days responding to my PMs in my inbox here and on tumblr too.

I want to say again how sorry I am that this took so long, but I am officially back and ready to go, and I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

~8~

Heart of Stone

"Where would you like me to start?" Piper asked as she and Emma took to walking through the cemetery, neither of them wanted Emma to be caught so near the vault, if Emma were found there it could jeopardize Regina more than she already was, and Piper was not about to risk the other Queens attacking her niece, especially when she wasn't quite at her best strength at the moment. She knew that Gold planned to send Maleficent and Cruella off when Regina started to wake, it was time to let the former-Evil Queen in on a new piece of information regarding Robin Hood and his forest maid, so she wanted Emma farther away from Maleficent and Cruella's notice.

Emma rubbed her head, "Did you know?" she began, "About Snow White and Prince Charming, what they did to Maleficent's child?"

Piper was silent a moment, "No," she answered, "I had no more knowledge of it than you did, Emma, not till Rummy and I were about to enter the town once more. While I did keep watch over Snow White in the Enchanted Forest, I did not see her every waking moment."

She would check in more often when Regina had actually been a threat as opposed to when Snow was back on her throne and safe. She had missed that event in Snow White's life and when it came down to how long she'd known, it hadn't been long at all really.

"And when I found out?" Piper shook her head, a small scoffing breath leaving her, "I was…quite a few things. Angry, hurt, guilty…"

"What did you have to be guilty about?" Emma shook her head at that.

Piper sighed, "For as long as I can remember, Emma, I have always tried to protect Snow White from darkness infecting her heart. I have striven to protect you and her, my family, from it."

Emma nearly snorted in derision at that, "Then you agree with her?" she almost spat, "With what she did?"

"Hardly," Piper DID snort, "Emma, there is a difference between what I do to protect my family from darkness and what Snow White did."

"And what's that?"

Piper took a breath, feeling a stirring of irritation rise at her at Emma's tone, but forced herself to push it down, it was likely a combination of her own situation and knowing that Emma was deeply hurt and betrayed as well that was making it seem worse, "What I do, in the course of protecting my family from darkness infecting them, typically affects only me, makes only ME a target of retaliation. What Snow White did doomed another innocent life, condemned it to a burden it should have never been forced to bear. She effectively cursed an unborn baby to a life of misery, where as I, once my music has passed, only affects it at one single point in life."

Unless it was Charming irritating her, then she used her magic more frequently.

But it still stood. A majority of the time she only encountered a victim of her magic once, that was all it took for them to know not to cross her again. And despite her claims that she had turned men, women, and even children into murderers, she had always had a soft spot for children. She never did something as cruel or terrible to them as what Snow White had done. She had never ruined a life in such a way that every single cell in a child's body had been altered, that every waking moment was cursed.

What's more, she never denied when she did something dark to another soul. She never played it off as for the greater good, she called it what it was. She never proclaimed that her reasoning was good, she never justified it or defended it to others in the extreme way Snow White and Charming had. She never tried to pass it off as being something different than what it was. If she killed someone in cold blood, it was murder. If she used her music to cause pain to someone, it was torture. If she used her magic to sway another, it was manipulation, even enslavement to a point. She understood when she did something dark, she owned up to it, she never denied it or hid it or lied about it. She accepted the consequences of her actions.

"Yeah," Emma breathed out at that, her voice shaking as she thought on that particular.

It was a baby, an innocent baby. Her moth… _Mary Margaret_ had tried to play it off when they told her the truth, describing it as dragon spawn, saying that it would be half-monster anyway, dark already and what was more darkness to such a creature?

It made her SICK to hear that.

Because Piper was 'demon spawn' as she'd told her she'd been called as a child, she was half-siren, half-creature, she was dark already and it was upsetting to think that Snow White's reasoning would mean that she'd be perfectly ok with someone doing that to her own cousin, shoving evil and darkness into the woman as a baby before they could decide for themselves if they wanted to be good or evil. She doubted Mary Margaret realized what she'd said or how it came across, but the point still stood. That other baby hadn't had a chance to _be_ anything, be good or evil, and they'd been left with twice as much darkness in them than normal. Her parents had condemned an innocent baby to a life that would ONLY lead to them being a villain just to make sure she would only be a hero, as though they didn't trust her enough.

"Emma, when I speak of darkness infecting my family, that is exactly what I mean," Piper stopped walking and waited till Emma looked at her, "When a heart is pure, darkness acts like an infection to it. Every dark deed you do, every dark magic used can darken a heart. It is…like a disease to most. I am an inherently _dark_ creature," she emphasized, "My heart does not work the same way as for others, it is not affected or afflicted in the same manner. What might darken your heart would hardly touch mine. That is why I would take the burden of the darker deeds from Snow White, what would eventually kill her would barely affect ME. And every deed I have done in her name, it never affected another person the way what she did affected Maleficent's daughter and you. I felt guilty, because I have spent most of my life trying to protect Snow White's heart from darkness…and she did that."

"Did she even realize it would do that?" Emma shook her head, "How could a HERO ever think that doing that would be GOOD?"

"Heroes are often blinded by their righteousness," Piper shrugged, starting to walk on with Emma, "As I think you recall from saving Robin Hood's wife?" she glanced at Emma, not having wanted to rub salt in the wound, but needing Emma to realize that she had been just as blinded as the other heroes could be in her feeling of being in the right, though it wasn't as heinous an act as what happened with Maleficent's child. Emma's flinch told her all she needed to know about Emma realizing how she herself had sounded in defending her actions, that she was going to think long and hard about it, "So long as they can justify it in the eyes of the majority, a hero's more villainous deeds are not quite so villainous. History is written by the winners, Emma, what is an invader to some is merely an explorer to others. It is about perception and how much a person can convince themselves what they have done is right. You would not believe the times I have heard 'for the greater good' come out of the mouths of heroes."

Emma swallowed hard, she had heard the exact same thing. Just a short while ago she had been thinking of how sick and tired she was getting of hearing nothing but 'for the greater good' coming from her parents' mouths, "How many things have my parents done that weren't quite heroic but that everyone else thought it was?"

How many things had SHE done that she thought were heroic but were truly the wrong thing to do? She understood now, what she had done in saving Marian was wrong, it altered nature, it disrupted the balance of life. She finally understood it, she finally regretted it. She hated that it took seeing what her parents had done and how they were so adamant that it was the right thing to do for her to realize it, but she did. So what else had SHE done that was wrong that she tried to justify with heroism?

"I cannot answer that, Emma," Piper told her honestly, "As I said, perception. And what I view as good or evil, morally right or wrong, may not be what the majority see. What I see and think when I turn my thoughts to what Snow White did…I may be entirely wrong to feel betrayed."

"Betrayed?"

Piper was quiet a long time, "All my life, I have only had a handful of people that I thought accepted me exactly as I was, WHAT I was. By the time the Dark Curse was cast, that number had dwindled to only two. Rummy and Snow White," she looked away from Emma, up ahead, needing to focus on something else to say what was festering inside her, "I thought that Snow White understood what I was, what it meant to be what I was, that she would accept me and that she loved me regardless of the darkness inside me, as she claimed so many times," she shook her head, "And yet at the first sign that a child could have a hint of the darkness I had…she chooses to rip it out of the child instead."

Emma winced at that, "You know why Snow White did it then?"

"There is magic in this town, Emma," Piper gave her a small smile, "Regina is not the only one with a magical way to spy on others with," she nodded, "Yes, I know why Snow White did what she did, she saw what was becoming of me and my darkness and refused to allow you the same," she sighed, "She had only seen the tip of the iceberg in how dark I could truly be, imagine what she would have thought seeing me then as I am now."

"It's bullshit," Emma said bluntly, she truly did believe what she had told Mary Margaret, at this point she would have rather been like Piper than Snow White.

"Oh I agree," Piper nodded, "There are…so many things wrong with that logic. I am equally upset by the idea that someone who claimed to accept my darkness in truth feared it and despised it so much that she would tear a part of a child's _soul_ out of them just to prevent it in the child itself. I am upset as well by what she has done to YOU, Emma," she looked over at her.

"Done to me?" Emma frowned.

"When I was a young girl," Piper looked away, " _I_ made a choice to request my parents remove my magic from me. I had…hurt someone, many people, and I did not want to do that. I was young and scared of what I could do and I begged them to remove it, to find some way to take it from me. And they did. The fairies tried to remove it, for more than one reason," she nearly scoffed at that memory, no one knew what the Blue Fairy had said to her, not a soul but Gold himself. Snow White didn't know, her parents didn't know, she had been so scared and so young that she hadn't breathed a detail of it or the visit she'd gotten from Blue to anyone save Rumpelstiltskin years later, "It was the most…agonizing moment of my life, trying to have light magic rip the dark magic from me. It would have killed me had my mother not stopped the ritual," she swallowed hard at that, crossing her arms almost in protection of the memory, "If _that_ was what it felt like to have something dark pulled out of me at just 4 years of age…" she shook her head, "What Snow White did, it could have very easily killed you, Emma," she glanced at her niece, "She was so desperate to prevent a darkness from _possibly_ taking root that she was willing to risk your life to do it," she looked away again, "I do not know if she even realized the true danger she put you in. Had you been born, had you been older, that very same spell would have killed you. Perhaps it was because you were so young, so new, that it did not. I cannot say. I do not know if the spell used was the same or not, but I know what it felt like to have it done to ME, to imagine it done to a _baby_?"

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Emma muttered, growing a little pale as she heard Piper talk about her experience. She had alluded to it, briefly mentioned it at the docks, but this…to know how close she really had come to dying, to realize her own mother might have had the same spell done on HER…

"I cannot forgive her endangering you the way she did," Piper continued, "Especially not for the reason she gave."

"Yeah," Emma huffed, "I um…might have told her that I would have rather been like you, darkness and all."

Piper gave her a small smile for that, "As much as I appreciate the intent," she began, "I more meant that she feared you would possess a darkness."

"Well according to her, Maleficent said that I was going to either be a great hero or fearsome villain," Emma rubbed her head, "Mary Margaret said a unicorn showed her a vision that proved it, something about my potential meaning any future was possible."

Piper scoffed at that, "Brilliant reasoning Snow White, listen to a villain," Emma nearly smiled at that, it had been her thought as well, that Maleficent could have just as easily lied to throw Snow White off, "And a unicorn?" she shook her head, "Whatever vision she saw Emma, it was merely a possible one. My god," she bit out, growing angry now, "A child has potential to be anything! They are neither light _nor_ dark but a blank slate. I knew, I KNEW, the moment I found out Snow was pregnant that you would be a hero," she looked at Emma, "With parents like them, raising you with love and care?" she shook her head, "My poor little darkened heart had to come to terms with my family being paragons of light," Emma cracked a small smile at the almost-teasing note in Piper's words, "But I knew Emma, that your path would undoubtedly lead to the light with Snow and Charming at your side, guiding you. But it seems Snow White, the beacon of hope, lost faith in her ability to raise you well, her fears and doubts are what preemptively condemned you to light and Maleficent's daughter to the dark."

"Dark," Emma muttered at that word, "Ursula," she looked at Piper, frowning, "She said that your plan, that Gold's plan, was to turn me dark so that the villains could get their happy endings."

Piper almost smiled at the tone Emma took, the girl didn't sound like she believed it at all.

Well, that was a nice feeling, to have someone believe in you.

"Assumptions," she mumbled, "A villain's greatest asset," before she sighed and looked at Emma, "We told her and Cruella that we had a way to get them their happy endings, through the Author, but we withheld how exactly we would do that so that the two would allow us into town. Rule 1, Emma, never reveal your entire plan, make sure those you join with are aware you possess a knowledge ONLY you have and they will not abandon you."

"Then why the hell did Ursula tell Hook that the plan was to turn me dark?"

"Because, once we retrieved Maleficent, they wanted to know the next step of the plan," Piper explained, "Rummy informed them that the reason villains never got happy endings was because the light-savior had only gotten endings for the heroes. He misdirected them towards the thought that, for villains to get happy endings, they would need a dark-savior. Ursula and the others assumed that meant we had to turn you dark."

"But you're not."

Piper smiled again how sure Emma sounded, that she didn't doubt for even a moment that they really were NOT trying to turn her dark, "No."

"Then what _are_ you planning?"

Piper looked at her a moment, "Maleficent's child, they possess your darkness. The Author is the only one that can make a magic quill that Rummy has work. The ink is magical, often infused with light magic, to the benefit of the heroes. He would require ink made of the savior's dark potential to rewrite stories to help the villains."

"Is her kid even alive?"

"We hope they are," Piper nodded, solemn, "You survived a trip here, as did August, through a magical tree. Baelfire survived a journey through a portal, even Zelena appears to have survived a trip through a tornado as a baby, it stands to reason that Maleficent's child would survive as well. It was why we needed to resurrect her, her blood could be used in the magical globe Rummy has in his shop to locate her child. We would NEVER actively try to turn you dark Emma," Piper reassured her, "We needed your darkness, yes, but we would not try to force you to become something you are not nor want to be."

"Unlike Snow White," Emma muttered, still very unsettled about that thought. Was she really HER? Was THIS the real her? If she was nothing but light inside her was it really the person she was meant to be? No, the answer was no. Because she was missing part of herself and it was because of her parents.

"If you had possessed your darkness Emma, I would have loved you regardless," Piper spoke after a moment, "Light or dark, it matters not to me what you are, you are family. And I am in no position to judge others for their darkness."

Emma let out a breath at that as her words struck something else inside her, "Would Mary Margaret have loved me? Regardless of the dark? If I was dark? Would she have loved me too? If she didn't want me to be dark SO badly that she had it ripped out of me?"

Piper looked down at that, watching where she was walking, "Once upon a time, Emma, I would have said yes, indubitably, Snow White would have loved you light or dark. Now…" she could only give Emma a helpless look, "I cannot say. She has proven in her actions with you that she did not love me as I was as she once claimed to do. I would hope, I would hope very deeply, that she would have you, for you are her child and not merely her cousin."

"That doesn't matter," Emma shook her head, "Family is family."

And what did it mean for her and her mother? If her mother, who had once said she loved her dark-cousin really hated the darkness in her so much she'd risk her child's life and soul to remove the darkness from her. What did it say about whether Snow White would accept a dark-child too?

"Family is family," Piper murmured, "Until they are not any longer. Until betrayal strikes."

This time it was Emma that hesitated speaking, "Henry told me. About sirens, about what happens to them when they're betrayed. You're trying to take revenge against Mary Margaret."

"Yes," Piper stated bluntly, honestly, "I do believe Rummy was trying to help it along, telling Ursula and the others that we would be attempting to turn you dark. Make Snow White fret and destroy herself with lies and half-truths, with paranoia about you going dark…prove just how much she really does fear it happening, force her to see just how far down a dark road she would go to prevent it, how much of a hypocrite and pseudo-villain she became in the process."

"Really?" Emma eyed her, "That's…that's your revenge? Psychological warfare?"

"I am not certain yet," Piper could admit, it wasn't something SHE had come up with, it didn't strike the same cord in her that the revenge against Regina had, it didn't feel personal or meaningful enough to her that she could be certain it would work. Even now, even now that Emma knew the truth, she still felt that anger and hardness against Snow White, "It is, after all, Rummy's idea. I am not sure if it is enough for me," she hummed, considering the alternatives, "I can say, if it would not harm you or Henry, Emma, I am quite certain I would kill her."

"That…doesn't sound like revenge," Emma frowned, that was a little further than mere revenge.

"A life for a life," Piper muttered.

"What?" Emma stopped, reaching out to touch Piper's arm, making her turn, only to blink when she saw Piper's eyes were wet, "What happened? What did Mary Margaret do?" she was quiet, waiting for Piper to speak, "Was it New York?" she almost faltered when Piper looked at her for that, seeing a flash of pain in her eyes that was so devastating she nearly felt her own heart break to see it, "Henry said New York was important. Something about it was enough to get Henry AND August on your side and against Mary Margaret…Aunt P," she began, squeezing Piper's arm gently, "What happened?"

"I was pregnant when I crossed the line."

Emma blinked at that, "You…" but then something else in her phrasing broke through her shock, causing her heart to stop, "WAS?"

"I still am," Piper reassured her, though her voice cracked, "Barely," she put a gentle hand over her stomach, "I almost lost the baby, Emma," she looked up at Emma, seeing the woman's horrified expression, "When Rummy freed himself of the Dagger, it released him from a good majority of the protections that were placed on the Dark One and his power, namely the darkness that would infect his heart. We had a ritual prepared to protect it from being infected…but it had to be performed in the first light of day after he was freed."

"But Mary Margaret sent him over the line…" Emma realized, that very night.

"He could not complete the ritual, his heart started to weaken, to darken."

"But it was in YOUR chest!" Emma looked completely disturbed now.

Piper lifted her hand to just above her heart, rubbing her chest, "It was," she nodded, "In New York, it was weakening and failing. I suffered two heart attacks Emma, the last one nearly killed me. It…it nearly killed my baby," she couldn't stop her voice breaking at that, couldn't stop the tears from starting to fall from her eyes, "I nearly died. I would not have cared, not at all, if MY life ended in the course of keeping my family safe, of helping Rummy, if it had been at Snow White's hand even that my life ended…but it was not just MINE in danger any longer, it was _my child's_. My baby nearly died. Because of Snow White."

Emma let out a breath at that, before she looked down at Piper's stomach, she could see it now, it was hard to notice at first, Piper was wearing dark clothing, it was dark out, her shirt was baggy, but with the woman's other hand on her stomach, she could see the smallest of bumps, the woman couldn't be more than two or three months pregnant given her weeks in New York and if it happened some time close to after they defeated Zelena, and the baby…

She stepped forward and hugged Piper tightly, not knowing what else to do or say, not knowing if it was possible to make up for what Snow White had nearly done to her and her child. It was different, the hand Piper had in separating her and her mother in the curse. She knew it was coming, but she also knew that Emma would be safe, would be reunited, that the family would be whole again. She knew that she'd either be trapped in the curse and unaware for decades or, once she realized she'd escaped it, she spent decades searching for her.

Mary Margaret...Mary Margaret had nearly killed Piper's child in sending Gold over the line, even if she hadn't realized it, even if Piper hadn't gone with him her heart would still be affected by the ritual being incomplete, her baby still in danger. No one would blame a grieving mother for not seeing it that way. No one would blame a mother that lost her child not to blame the catalyst for the events that caused the loss. Mary Margaret herself had made it abundantly clear, she knew, that she still blamed Gold for the curses and witches that separated her from her children.

"It is why we returned," Piper added as she pulled back, taking surprising comfort from Emma's gesture, "His heart is still weakening, in his chest once more. Rummy is _dying,_ Emma, and I...I cannot tell if I shall follow him when he does. I am only half-siren, but there is too much at stake. If I pass with him, the child does too, if I do not, it loses its father. We need the Author to help relieve Rummy's heart, so he might be well again, so he will be stronger. We care not for Ursula or Cruella or their happy endings, it was a ruse to get them here and distracting the heroes, we just need a way to save Rummy's heart. But," she faltered, "I...I cannot do this alone," she admitted, Emma able to see the genuine fear in her eyes, "You have no idea the thoughts that plague me, Emma. Would Snow White have done the same thing, sending Rummy over the line, if she had known? Would she have condemned my child to die? If she had been able to restrain me, would she have condemned my child to be an orphan? To be fatherless? And the town?" she shook her head, gesturing around wildly, "No doubt they think me a villain once more, would they try to stop her? For all their talk that people are made to be good or evil and not born that way, would they have believed it of MY child? Would she see my child as with Maleficent's? A child that was BORN evil instead of made into it? Would they do the same to my child? Would they try to force my hand, rip the evil out of my child instead?"

"No," Emma shook her head, now understanding why she hadn't known Piper was there till so recently, she was keeping herself out of sight and in hiding for the sake of her child. She and Gold had sent the Queens of Darkness out to do their dirty work so that they could remain in the shadows and safe, the fewer people who knew she was back, the better for her and the baby.

Her words though, about Mary Margaret, she couldn't help but feel that it shouldn't matter if Mary Margaret knew beforehand. A child being present shouldn't affect what someone did, it shouldn't be a defining factor, not in something like this. Because all it meant was that someone WOULD have done something if only the child hadn't been there, and that was worse. It should never have been done in the first place.

"No?" Piper scoffed, "This child is quarter-siren and half-DARK ONE. If you thought people reacted oddly to Neal, being Rumpelstiltskin's child, a boy born while he was human and not the Dark One, what do you think they would fear of this child being born of him AS the Dark One? They would try to kill it Emma, they would fear it before it had even drawn breath. I have SEEN that happen, I have lived it. They would have it die or be rid of its darkness too…"

"No," Emma stepped forward, grabbing Piper's hands, "That will NOT happen."

"I would not see it happen," Piper told her quietly, "Light or dark, I would love it."

"I know," Emma nodded, not for the first time wondering what SHE might have been like had Piper found her, raised her to accept all of herself, light and dark, if…if Piper had actually been her mother? What would she be like now, with both her light and dark halves still in her? She'd never know, "I won't let it happen, Aunt P. I _won't_ , I promise, this baby," she reached down and placed a hand on Piper's stomach, able to feel the firmness of it there, feeling her heart racing at the knowledge that this was real, it existed just under her hand, another member of her family was coming, was in danger and needed her to protect it, "This baby will be protected. I will NOT let anyone in this town hurt it. Or they will have a very pissed off Savior after them."

Emma reached out and pulled Piper into a hug once more, closing her eyes as she swore it to herself. This baby would NOT end up like she had, the baby would have a chance to be born, to be safe and protected and loved, to decide for themselves what they wanted to be.

And so help _anyone_ that dared try to defy that, even Snow White.

~8~

When Emma eventually returned to the apartment, she didn't even give her parents a look, focusing instead on August and Henry sitting back by the window across the room, "August!" she smiled, what felt like the first genuine smile in forever at seeing him awake and looking much better, more refreshed and stronger than he had been, "How are you?"

"A bit tired, but better," August smiled up at her, before it started to falter at the tightness in her smile, "Something's wrong. How are you?"

"I'm fine."

"You forget I know lying," August gave her a gentle look at her quick response.

"She went to see Aunt P," Henry informed the man, before glancing at his mother, knowing that would be the only place she would or could go for answers about all this, "Did she tell you?"

Emma nodded, "Everything."

August's eyes widened at that, "Everything?"

He knew that HE knew everything, and Henry did, about Piper and what happened in New York, about the baby and how close she'd come to losing it, especially about Operation Bluebird, something Gold had told him about when Piper had left the room for a moment, but he couldn't quite see Emma knowing about it, or at least not Gold's version of it, he honestly wasn't sure Piper even knew about that particular Operation. But it was ok with him if she didn't, so long as she knew the other important things, things he knew Piper would tell her when confronted about and with time to tell it.

"Yeah," Emma nodded again, "Unlike other people, she's always been honest with me."

"Emma…" Mary Margaret began, stepping over with David.

"Anyway," Emma blatantly ignored the woman, focusing on August, "I have a surprise for you. Look what Henry found," she pulled a key out of her pocket and held it up to August to see, Henry had brought it to them just after he'd given his mother the fake picture.

"You did it!" August exclaimed, beaming, looking between her and Henry, proud.

"That's right. Now, what do you say we let out the Author," she reached into her pocket and pulled the page of the storybook that had the Author's door designed on it out, Piper had given it to her before she'd left when she had offered to help her and Gold with their plan, "I have some questions..."

"Emma, please, think about this," Mary Margaret tried again, "This isn't just what Regina wanted. This is what Gold wanted, too. He was doing it to turn you dark!"

Emma's entire expression darkened as she stood up to face her parents, "I'm _not_ worried about it. Are you?" she looked them in the eye, as though daring them to tell her that they were actually concerned that she would still turn dark after everything they had done to prevent it. Because if they were, then every pain they caused in doing what they had would be for nothing, it would have been pointless and she would never forgive them for it, "Cause now I have some questions about me, and he can tell us everything."

"If he's the one who wrote your story," August corrected and warned.

"What are you talking about?" Emma frowned, looking at him, her mind racing for what he could mean. The Author had to have written the book right? This was the man that Piper and Gold needed to save him, he HAD to be.

"Something you need to know about _this_ author," August sighed, "He wasn't the only one. There have been many authors throughout time. It's a job, not a person. And the one trapped in here was just the last tasked with the great responsibility," it didn't really matter when it came to Piper and Gold's dilemma, they just needed whatever Author was the current one.

"Which is?"

"To record," August shrugged, "To witness the greatest stories of all time and record them for posterity. The job has gone back eons, from the man who watched shadows dance across cave walls and developed an entire philosophy, to playwrights who tell tales in poetry, to a man named Walt," he smirked as Henry's eyes widened at the implication that Walt Disney was an Author, "Many have had this sacred job, great women and men who took on the responsibility with the gravity that it deserved…until this last one," he nodded at the page, "He started to manipulate rather than record. He did something, I don't know exactly what, but something that pushed them over the edge. That's why the Sorcerer and his Apprentice put him in there. _They're_ the ones who choose the Author, and they took responsibility for their error."

"If they did, and he's still in there, he still has the ability to alter the book, to alter the course of things," Emma murmured, thinking about Piper and Gold.

Mary Margaret and David were likely convinced that the master plan was to turn her dark, turn her against her parents. Well, that last half didn't need a plan at all, Mary Margaret and David had done that on their own. But the first one? If Mary Margaret really thought that her cousin would do that to HER, that she would turn her own niece dark just to spite her cousin? That Piper would do something that would HURT her? She didn't know the woman at all or trust her like she claimed.

She didn't care though. Thinking on it now, knowing what she did about everything, she honestly wasn't sure if going dark would be a bad thing. Everyone kept making it out to be horrible and horrifying, but she just couldn't help but look at Piper and, yeah, she was a little unhinged at times and her complete apathy for anyone outside her family could be brutal and cruel to witness, but the woman wasn't evil. Dark didn't mean evil, she firmly believed that. And if she happened to go dark during this, she doubted it would be the torture and hell that everyone seemed to think it would be. She was ok with it, IF it happened, she felt like she'd be ok.

After everything Piper had done for her, for her parents, for her son, to protect them, she could do this for her. Piper wasn't the sort to ask for help, and she was now. She was genuinely terrified and hurting and she needed the support of her family. And she would be damned if her parents kept her from giving it to the woman that had given up so much for them and still suffered for them even now. She had Henry and August, but now Emma was determined that Piper would have her too.

"You sure have come a long way from the woman who wouldn't believe," August remarked gently, pulling her from her thoughts.

Emma smiled at that, "Yeah. I have."

She stood up, picking up the door page as she went, shooting her parents a warning look not to dare interfere, before she focused her magic and held the key up to the page.

A moment later a bright light shone out of the page, causing Emma to drop it and stumble back as something was nearly fired out of the page, tumbling back onto the edge of the small coffee table.

"Oh!" a man with dark hair and eyes, dressed in the garb of the Enchanted Forest, gasped, "Whoo!" he took a breath and looked around, "It was cramped in there! I couldn't even reach this," he pulled a small flask out of his pocket and took a quick gulp, "And I was _parched_."

Emma moved to begin her questioning when David spotted the flask, a very familiar flask, one he hadn't seen in years, HIS flask, "Where did you get that?"

"This?" the Author held it up, shrugging, "Uh, a nice young couple I met on the road gave it to me. You want some? Sort of nutmegy."

"You!" Mary Margaret gasped, recognizing the man as well. She and David had been on their quest to try and find a way to free Emma of her potential darkness in the Enchanted Forest and come across a peddler that had warned them of Maleficent and how she had laid an egg. David had given the man his flask with that very nutmeg-like beverage in it to warm him up from the chill and to keep in thanks for the information. And that peddler…he was standing right before them, " _You_ are…are the Author?"

"The peddler?" David recognized him.

Emma shook her head at them, focusing on the Author, "We have a lot of questions."

The Author chuckled lightly, "I bet you do," he smiled genially at them, before pulling on the curtains just behind August, causing them to fall with the curtain rod attached, Emma diving forward to cover the man as the Author made a break for it.

"Hey!" Emma pushed her parents off as they moved to help her and raced after the man, her parents followed her, down the road and towards the woods where she'd just barely glimpsed the man entering the dense forest.

"The Author, where is he?" David gasped as he caught up.

"We lost him," Emma glared at the trees.

"We know him, Emma," Mary Margret told her.

"What?" Emma spun to face them.

"We met him a long time ago, before you were born. He, um…" she looked to her husband for help.

"Manipulated us," David offered, "It's because of him we were put on the path to causing Maleficent to lose her child."

"It's true!" Mary Margaret nodded eagerly, looking hopefully at Emma…unfortunately the blonde was just glaring at them in return.

"No," Emma shook her head, "Whether he pointed you to Maleficent or not, you said it yourself, he set you on the PATH but YOU still did what you did. YOU chose to do it, he didn't make you, he just gave you the option and YOU were the ones that took it. And you _lied_ to me about it! You've been lying to me about everything! About you, about me…"

"That's not the case," David argued, "It's _one_ incident from our past…"

"Don't downplay it!" Emma snapped, as though that made a difference or made it all better. It wasn't the amount of times someone did something wrong, it was how enormously it affected others and how many others and how innocent the others were, how they dealt with it after, the responsibility they took for it, if they owned up to it and all of it. She would be equally as disturbed if she found out Piper and Gold had done this to Maleficent, but she doubted she would feel as angry or betrayed, because had Piper done it she wouldn't have hid it, she wouldn't have lied, she wouldn't have tried to pass it off as necessary or righteous. She would call it what it was, she wouldn't defend her actions, and she would accept that Maleficent was coming after her instead of playing the victim.

No, what was upsetting her most was how her parents were STILL trying to argue that it was the right thing to do to someone else's child.

They had condemned a BABY, two babies, risked their lives and souls, and tried to act like it was just and right and necessary.

Heroes didn't do that, GOOD people didn't do that.

"Well, we've _changed_ ," Mary Margaret defended in what sounded to Emma as a lame attempt, "We've tried to become the parents you deserve."

"I am only the Savior because you _altered the entire state of my being_ at the expense of _someone else's soul_!" Emma pointed an accusing finger at them, tears in her eyes. It was even worse, because she knew what that sort of magic could be like, what it could have done. If it was in anyway close to what Piper had experienced as a child, and to be fair it might have been even worse or more powerful a spell considering how powerful her own magic was, that spell could have KILLED her and Maleficent's child. Her parents valued her being a 'hero' over being ALIVE and had no thought or care for what happened to Maleficent's child either.

"You're right," David took a breath, trying to speak calmly, trying to calm down Emma, "What we did, it was wrong. But we…we didn't fully understand what we were doing."

"And that makes it _better_?" Emma shook her head, disgust in her voice, that just made it all the worse, "I could have DIED because you didn't know what you were doing!"

Mary Margaret winced at that, though her expression told Emma that she hadn't even considered that till just now.

"We acted out of fear," David tried again, "We're human."

"Yeah, well, right now I don't care," Emma shook her head, "None of that matters now. We have to find that Author before the others do."

She honestly didn't care if Gold found him first, or if Piper did. Both of them needed the Author more than anyone and if SHE found him first, she was tempted to just bring him straight to the two to help them. But there was still Cruella out there, Maleficent too, either of them, she doubted, would be very concerned with getting the Author to Gold instead of just using him for themselves or even killing him in revenge for making them villains.

Whatever the case, she wanted to find him first, she didn't fully trust him and she knew better than anyone what desperation could make a person do. She doubted Piper or Gold would EVER become that desperate as to fall into a trap or loophole by the Author, they had too much experience seeing how others were taken advantage of from their desperation, but she wanted to be sure. They were…family, both of them, even Gold, and she was going to protect them. She had to make sure the Author was going to do what he promised, find out what he could do, and make sure that Gold came out of this alive.

~8~

Piper and Gold stood in the woods, looking down a small incline to where the Author was frantically trying to snap branches off a tree to, what they would guess, make a quill.

"Well, I'm not much of a writer," Gold called, "But I do know something about magic quills," he would have been happy to watch the man continue to make a fool of himself, but time was of the essence.

The Author spun around, gasping when he saw not just Gold but the Piper standing before him, above him, looking down at him, "Such as?" he cursed inwardly as his voice shook.

"Well, for starters, they must be sculpted from the wood of enchanted trees, which, unfortunately for you, is not an attribute any of the timber in Storybrooke possesses."

"Damn it!" the Author threw down the twig and started to stalk off, "I need to go."

Piper, however, moved in his way, "You need to come with us, you mean."

The Author just laughed in her face, "Why would I do that? Your true love up there is quite possibly the biggest pain in the ass I have _ever_ had the displeasure of writing about," he shot a glare at Gold.

Piper just smirked, "Because you are well aware that I can make you go with us, in either a kind or more…forceful way," her smirk widened as the man took a step back, his eyes flickering down to the pipe in her hand instead of her boot, "Though using my music will mean the others after you will likely hear and I am in no mood to confront Snow White at the moment."

"And," Gold called, just seeing the Author about to snidely comment on Snow White and their falling out, not about to let him upset Piper anymore than she already was. She had come to him to reveal that Emma had spoken with her, had been told the truth, and was all too willing to help them, but the course of telling her the truth meant that it had been a trying and emotional night for Piper, "There's also this," he held up a pen, a magic quill pen.

"What do you want from me?" the Author swallowed hard, his eyes flicking to Piper as she brought the pipe up, absently rolling it between her hands.

"You are gonna write us a whole bunch of new happy endings," Gold informed him.

The Author looked back, hearing the calls of the Charmings in the distance, of the two evils before and behind him…Gold and the Piper were actually the lesser of two, "Fine."

"Glad you see it our way," Piper reached out and grabbed his arm tightly, leading him back towards Gold who, with a flick of his wrist, had them disappearing in a swirl of red.

A/N: I cannot apologize enough for the delay in continuing this story :( It was supposed to be picked up the middle of September 2015, but my sister threw us for a loop by declaring she was moving out and in with her boyfriend, but that the apartment had to be fixed up by October 1st, so we were all hands on deck scrambling to help fix it up for her and move her in. And then my dad ended up getting a pneumonia, and with his immune system still being weak from the chemo it lasted almost till almost Christmas, he was hospitalized for two weeks of it. And then, by Christmas, I realized I was miserable at my job and quit, and ended up getting a job at a Barnes and Nobles near my town and was in training for the last month. But I've reached a point where I now feel more stable and confident in my scheduling and time and family and am back to writing.

Unfortunately, 2016 seems like it is going to be a busy year for me. I'm now in a Master's program for English, I have a new part-time job (where the hours and days change every week), I'm tutoring my sister's boyfriend in an undergraduate course for the first few months of the year, and I'm also starting a candle business (I might put a link on my tumblr today or tomorrow), while trying to work on some more original novels.

As a result, there will be a few big changes to my posting schedule for the stories and the order that it will happen (a more detailed scheduling will be up on my tumblr soon):

1\. **All TV-stories (like this one) will be updated every other day**. All movie-stories, when I get to them, will be updated every day as they are shorter. I plan to finish this story, then post Athena's Age of Ultron story, then pick up my other TV-stories again.

2\. My Big Bang Theory story for Claire will NOT be posted every two days. Instead I am going to alternate posting a season of BBT with posting a season of Lyssa's OUAT story. So, for example, I will post all of say Lyssa's Season 2, then a movie-story, then all of BBT season 3, then a movie-story, then Lyssa's Season 3, etc.

3\. For Doctor Who, I will resume my OCs on April 14th, the day after the Angel/Marayna/Piper crossover story as, by then, I should be done tutoring my sister's boyfriend and have more time to edit/write/focus on stories. It will start with Angel Series 8, then Mac Series 8, then Judge Series 8, and pick back up with the Professor (then Evy, etc) Series 9. This is also true for the DW-OC Spinoff stories as well as the AUs for Proffy and Angel, they will be resumed in April. I will be posting a new chapter _every other day_ just for this year. They are very long chapters and take a lot to edit and with classes and work I need a little more time to edit properly. This will continue to the end of Series 9 for the OCs, after that I will post TL5 likely in 2017.

I am really sorry this took so long to get back and posting and that things will probably be drawn out for 2016, mostly with catching up and finishing current stories (only really introducing new Movie-stories), I'm also sorry that the updates will be slower in being every other day instead of every day for a few months, but at least I'm posting again, which makes me happy and I hope you will all like the stories to come :)

I hope you liked this chapter though, I feel like it was about time that all the truths came out, not just about Snow, but Piper and Gold's plan, so a lot of dialogue and talking, but Emma wanted answers and Piper was NOT going to just brush it off this time but talk to her about a lot of things.

Some notes on reviews...

I agree, I find Henry to be very upsetting in the first few seasons. Like I understand what he's going through and how he's coping with it and that he's 10, but at the same time…that is your adoptive mother. She CHOSE to keep you and love you and raise you and everything when your biological mother gave you away, no matter who she was in her past, you show her more respect than that :( In a way, it's similar to Regina, to all villains, in my opinion of how I view them. With villains, I like to understand their actions, even if it doesn't justify or excuse them. I'm glad you like Piper, I really wanted to try to write a character that is a villain and embraces it, but still has soft spots and weaknesses. I don't think it's morbid, it would be a very large push in the plot and it's still a very possible future for them, especially with events from Season 5 coming }:) I hoped for more in Season 5 with the Dark Swan, even in her plans for Zelena not even being seen through. There was so much potential, especially after the disturbing Zelena-baby bomb went off. I was disappointed greatly by Season 5 and I think I spent most of it going 'this is ridiculous/stupid' instead of 'this is awesome!' which is sad :( I think the actors did what they could with what they had, but too much was lost in back stories and characters that did little to actually move the plot along :/ I can say Piper was the only thing that got me through watching Season 5, her commentary was what kept me watching even when I was more apathetically observing than entertained.

I actually thought the 'crazy' part for Henry was more he was in therapy because he found out he was adopted and wouldn't talk to Regina. If you watch the first episode close, when Emma remarks on the 'Evil Queen' thing and fairytales, Regina legitimately has no idea what Emma's talking about, which implies Henry was seeing Archie for another reason. After that point, I can somewhat understand Regina's need for Henry to stop trying to break the curse, I don't think he realized it, but Regina did, that if the curse broke…cue the angry mob coming to violently kill her and being justified in doing it. I don't condone what she did in not telling him the truth, but overall…the curse wasn't entirely bad. Modern tech, education, protection and more rights for women, indoor plumbing, more, she could have separated people in a much worse way. I got the impression, with Belle, that after she did get permission to take Belle's heart but made her forget permission as given. Killing is always bad, though I think Katherine's was more staged than real, though I do think women/mothers will go to extremes to protect their sons and for a woman that had every single shred of happiness ripped away from her at every single turn in her life for decades, she would be a little insane and hold onto the one thing she had left with a deadly passion. Again, not condoning it, but in a world of fairytales where people are poisoned and killed in just about every story, the Evil Queen poisoning someone with an apple is expected. I think he sought out Emma because some adoptive kids do, they want to know where they came from and try to find their birth parents, it has nothing to do with being happy or not, just a fact of life and a question of your past/history. A big thing, to me, is that, she was tempted by the Empty Hearted curse, but in the end made the right choice and that was a catalyst to trying to turn her life around. Did she relapse at times, yes, but so do all addicts. What is significant for me is that she fought back and kept pushing herself to do better each time and finally did become the mother he wanted and needed. I agree, people come in shades of gray, it's not as clear cut as Henry first believed, something he's learning in the story :) I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! :)

So far the baby is safe for now ;) We won't know for sure if it will be completely safe till it's born though, there are a lot of events coming up that might put Piper in danger or stress her out in Season 5, but we'll have to wait and see }:)

Yup, she's still pregnant :) Came very close to losing it though :'(

Snow, oh Snow, I can say her reaction will depend a lot on when she finds out about Piper and from who and how }:) But August and Henry, and now Emma, know about the baby though ;)

Lol, you can smack Robin if I can too ;) I think, for Gold, it's more that he's spent 300 years making and keeping deals that it's just ingrained in him not to break one. That and I think he naturally assumed eventually Regina would learn the truth on her own and leave town to find Robin, which would make the town less protected and one less sorceress down for him to work his plan with so he kept the deal going. And thank you! I went back and fixed it :) I think they explained it in the show that he used a magic clover from Oz to disguise himself when he went to steal the wand from the Dark One, so the Robin we see is the real him, the one we saw in the earlier episode was him disguised. But I put a small twist here, it just made more sense to me that Gold would do something that made his life difficult, he couldn't just let someone get away THAT easily to me. I'm sorry about that happening with your father :( My brother has, so far, gone back and forth about being with her. He legitimately proposed, then 3 months later wanted the ring back, then gave her a chance to change, then last month wanted the deposit for their reception hall back, then wants to give her the chance to change, and so on. We may be having an intervention if he's still with her by summer though. The heroes bother me more and more as the show goes on too :( I agree, I just feel like the show is going downhill and the writers are resorting to shock value instead of legitimate and well thought out stories. If we had one episode dedicated to seeing, say Regina and Robin actually TALK about the things they mention talking about, instead of a flashback of Merida that wasn't needed, I'd feel like we saw more character development than we got. The flashbacks were not needed, some characters weren't needed, and more time could have been given to really developing the story than what we got. I actually hope season 5 is the last one which is sad :( I'm actually almost hoping for the show to end because I have an original season that has some Blue being shady in it and explores some other villains that were mentioned in passing too :)

I'm glad you like the Little Golden Rosebud :D I hope it's a girl too, but we'll have to wait and see ;) Aww, Henry would be like the best older cousin/uncle/brother-figure ever. Though now I have no idea what he'd actually call himself when it comes to the Rosebud, he's technically like Piper's First Cousin Twice Removed, which makes him Rosebud's Second Cousin Once Removed or something like that? Families are confusing. But he could be an uncle, but he's also close enough in age to be a cousin. I feel like Henry would change his titles when it comes to Rosebud and other younger family members. Like pulling the 'I'm your uncle' card when he's in charge or needs them to listen to him, but the 'I'm your cousin' card when he wants to be friends and talk to them. I've definitely got a few twists to handle Zelena and what she did }:)

I didn't see the point in bringing Cora or Zelena back either :( I feel like they were the writers trying to grasp at straws. It was a way to drive the knife in deeper with Cora, that now Regina can 'never have kids' (even though Snow drank the same potion and CAN have kids from drinking at Lake Nostos, like really, did the writers think we forgot the Wishing Well Water is Lake Nostos?) and Zelena is having one with Robin. I got that feeling too, that the writers were more like 'This will be awesome if we…' and then they were horrified that the audience was like 'WTF did you DO!?' and were really disgusted by their 'epic twists.' Season 5 killed me with the flashbacks, did we really need like two whole episodes for Merida instead of actual character development for the actual regular characters? No. I think the only thing that made sense to me, when Gold told Cora his history, was that it could be what led him to not telling Belle everything instantly, that he learned from his mistake with Cora. But a lot of the rest of it, I agree, it's like the writers focus on Snow and Charming for a monumental thing that alters everything, then forget about them and focus on other convoluted stories and flashbacks. I'm glad you like the idea of the BBC Robin/OC, I have some big plans for that one :) Oh my brother, it's mostly just that he gets steadily more miserable the longer he's with her, and it makes him lash out at us and take it out on our family because he just won't tell her it's over :( Family is definitely complicated :/

Piper didn't go after the fairies for a few reasons. Before the curse broke, it wouldn't be as fulfilling if they didn't know why she was after them, if they had no knowledge of what they did to regret or defend and fuel her. There's also a part of her that is a little scared of Blue, a very small part, but one where she wouldn't feel confident enough targeting her without Gold beside her. Gold, I think, in his research on how to free himself from the Dagger, knew that there might be a possibility that the Fairies would be needed, for their magic, to free himself. He might not have had the Sorcerer's Hat back then, but it would be more prudent, to him, to keep them alive till he knew without a doubt that they were useless to him. If he had ended the fairies before finding the hat, he might have ended up needing to trap Emma, Piper, and even Regina in there in order to get the magic he needed to free himself, and he couldn't hurt two of the three lol. So he sort of kept Piper from rampaging on them. Now that he's free though, once his heart is stronger… }:)

So far the baby is alive ;) Most of Piper not showing is others not noticing her showing, she's taken to wearing dark and baggy clothing to hide it. The last thing she wants is the other villains (or even heroes) to notice she's expecting. For Gold, it's mostly Piper hasn't been in a situation where he wasn't there to help her or that he felt she was in true danger so he had no need to really bring up to watch out for the baby just yet ;) I know it's a little late, but I hope you were able to catch up on your summer assignments! :)

I'm glad you like it! I'm back to posting now, but every other day for the time being ;)

Everything is ok now, had a bit of a scare with my dad near the end of the year, but he's better and I'm at a better place in my life, more stable, to get back to updating ;)

I'm glad you like the series :) I am back and updating now, but every other day for the time being. That's actually one of the reasons I'm shifting to every other day, I'm trying to write some more original works and see what might come of it :)

I'm alive! Sorry for worrying you! :)

I'm back, sorry! I'm ok and alive, I'm sorry for scaring you. Had things to settle and sort but I'm back ;)

I'm ok! Sorry! A few things happened between my last update/tumblr post and now, my dad had another health scare, my sister moved out, I got a new job, and started a Master's degree, so a lot's been going on, but I'm back now ;) I'm sorry I worried you though! :(

I'm alright, sorry to worry you! :( I'm not dead, no worries there, just had way, way too much going on that kept me away from the computer for longer than I would have ever liked :( But I'm back now! :)

I'm glad you like the story so far :) I can say that Emma will definitely be facing some consequences in my stories, if it doesn't seem like much in this series, then definitely more in my other OUAT story featuring a Hook/OC }:) I'm glad you're enjoying Piper too! :)

Not sure what you mean by badfic as I've seen it in two contexts so far. Badfic as in, a villain/bad person centric one, the bad guy stories, in which case, yes this is a story focused around a villain/bad guy. Or badfic as in you just think it's a terrible story or badly written, in which case I'm sorry you feel that way, but if you'd like to offer any advice on how to make it a goodfic, I'm always very open to it! I try to improve with every piece of constructive criticism :)

I'm glad you're enjoying the series, and thank you about my father and job, he's gotten much better and I've switched jobs to something that makes me much happier which is always good :) I'm very happy to be back and posting, though I'm sorry if I worried you!

Lol, Piper's reaction has been legitimately the only thing getting me to watch and keep watching Season 5. I've just been so disappointed with the writers that picturing Piper there and her commentary is what gets me through the episodes now. Lol, whenever I get even a single review I do a little dance in my chair no matter where I am, so I've gotten a lot of odd stares for it ;)

I always wondered that too, if Belle considered the after effects of her efforts. He'd be powerless against his enemies, he's being forced into ultimatum after ultimatum and also creating an unhealthy situation for her as well in lying to her, and she does seem a bit blinded by how she can 'save him' instead of what's really in front of her :( As for the kid, they're definitely planning to keep it a secret from as many people for as long as possible (save Emma, Henry, and August, the only three they trust at the moment). With the enemies they have and what they know will be the prejudice against a quarter-siren/half-Dark One child, they want to keep the baby safe. Sadly, I get the feeling that that is exactly what the writers will do. Hook is just too special for the laws of Magic to apply to him not being resurrected when other characters couldn't be :( I can say that I do have a Swanfire story or two coming, one will feature a bit more in my Hook/OC (if Hook is taken, then maybe Emma would consider Neal more), and the other, well, let's just say if Emma had siren-instincts and was raised all her life by a woman that approved of Baelfire more than Hook, she might be a bit more keen to get to know him than Hook };) Oh the twists for this story though, Emma's entire take on her parents will be shaken much more here than in the show, because here she has Piper as an example and it hits home to her SO much more knowing how Snow White feels about her cousin than in the show where Piper doesn't exist ;)

Lol, yup, she's pregnant and still has the baby! :) She's told August, Henry, and Emma, but that's it so far. Though Maleficent might be a wee bit suspicious at the moment ;)


	34. Sympathy for the De Vil

Sympathy for the De Vil

Emma stood before her parents in their apartment, August and Henry visiting Gepetto, or that was their excuse. Really Emma knew August could tell an argument was coming between her and her parents, and so he'd offered to get Henry out of hearing range…and, well, they did have some things to explain to the man about how his son was grown again. She had asked August, quietly, to visit Piper on the way back, check in and see if they had the Author. They had searched the woods all night and not seen a trace of the Author and none of her calls to Piper or Gold were being answered, she was getting worried that Maleficent or Cruella had taken him instead or done something to Gold and Piper after they found him. Neither Piper nor Gold were at their best strength at the moment, if Cruella or Maleficent sensed that...she didn't even want to think about it.

"You have to remember something else about the Author," Emma looked at her parents for help, if the Author had escaped them and the others, then he HAD to be somewhere, "Some way to find him. Now think."

"We told you everything we know," David sighed, turning to face his daughter.

"Are we sure about that?" her look turned more incredulous, more challenging, "Because secrets just keep coming out."

"Ok, you're clearly still upset…" Mary Margaret tried to soothe.

"Yes, I am still upset!" she half-snapped, getting more irate at how Mary Margaret had the audacity to act like her anger was starting to sound tired than justified, "You were the ones who taught me there is always a right way, a _heroic_ way, and what you did to Maleficent's child?" she shook her head, disgusted.

"It was our only option to make sure you grew up good!" David defended.

"It was the easiest way out, no, it was a _villain's_ option," Emma glared, she hated using that term now, hero or villain, she now knew some heroes that were not all heroic, and villains that were not quite villainous, but it seemed to be the only thing getting through to her parents at the moment, calling them as good as villains.

And really? Using 'it was our ONLY option' as an excuse? What about raising her right? What about trusting themselves? What about NOT believing a villain or a trippy vision? What about actually RAISING her to be good? Hadn't all this happened before they knew the Dark Curse would mean they'd be separated from her and unable to raise her, were they just forgetting that? And she understood that they were human, had made mistakes, but a true hero would own up to it, not try to hide it or pass it off or constantly defend themselves.

What was worse, a person who did terrible things and understood what it was, or a person that had convinced themselves and really believed that doing something terrible was the right thing to do?

"That's not fair, Emma," Mary Margaret frowned at her daughter's words, her voice coming out soft and wounded.

"I'm sorry, but if it were me, no matter what, I would NOT harm a defenseless person!"

"And that right there," Mary Margaret pointed at her almost accusingly, as though her point had been proven, "That goodness is exactly why we did what we did. It was worth it."

"Not to me," Emma told them flat out, "Because I'm not whole now," she reminded them, "I'm missing half of myself, and my magic?" she shook her head, "It's not properly oriented apparently, it won't ever reach its full potential because of what you did!"

Mary Margaret looked over as the sound of a door opening reached them and Regina quickly strode in. She jumped on the chance to change the topic with a careful, "Regina...you alright?" at the sight of her serious and truly worried expression.

Regina sighed, "No. I'm in the middle of a very bad day. I'll tell you the whole story later, after I rescue Robin Hood."

"Robin Hood?" Emma shook her head, confused but sending a look to Mary Margaret that this conversation was NOT over, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I called that number you gave me, but Marian answered the phone, and I discovered…she's not really Marian at all."

"So who is she?" David frowned.

"Zelena."

"The wicked witch?!" his eyes widened.

"I don't know how it's possible, but my sister has been masquerading as her this entire time. And she's in league with Gold and his little crew," she glared at nothing in particular at the thought, "Robin's in danger, so I'm going to New York to find him and stop her."

Emma rubbed her head at that, she hadn't quite known THAT part of Gold and Piper's plans, and she was sure she should be fuming at Piper for not telling her when she'd asked about New York...but Piper HAD told her quite a lot the night before, more than her parents had apparently told her in all the time they'd known her. And the woman had been upset, _very_ upset and worked up and _scared_ , with so much going on with herself and Gold's heart, she didn't blame the woman for something like that slipping her thoughts.

And, when she thought about it, DID Piper even know? Well, she doubted Gold would lie to her about knowing Zelena was alive, but did PIPER have a team with Zelena? She couldn't see it happening given that Zelena had nearly killed Piper's baby nephew. She doubted Piper would willingly agree to work with Zelena. Which meant that _Gold_ had to be the one that had made the agreement…but Piper would never let him do it, nor would Gold ever willingly work with the woman that caused for his son to die and enslaved him either.

She let out a breath as a theory came to her. Piper had said she'd suffered two heart attacks, that the last one had nearly been fatal. If she had been out of it, weak and vulnerable enough to be on death's door, and Zelena was in New York at the time…she _had_ to have some sort of magic available to her. How else would Walsh have been able to become a flying monkey in a land with no magic? So if Zelena had some sort of magic that would help Piper…that was the only instance she could see where Gold would agree to work for Zelena, if she had something that would save Piper and their child's life. And Gold never broke his deals either. She doubted Zelena would have just given them whatever helped Piper too if she didn't have some way to reverse her help. For all she knew, whatever Zelena did was contingent on Gold's continued help, for all she knew Zelena might be able to cause the heart she'd saved to give out with a snap of her fingers. Of course Gold would keep quiet and as an ally to Zelena if she held leverage over his heart or something like that.

Regardless of why, Gold was trapped in a partnership with Zelena, but that would also mean that, if Gold knew who Zelena was, that she wasn't Marian, if they were working together he would have a way to contact her and be obligated to do so.

This seemed to be something Hook had realized as well for he remarked, "And what about Gold? If they're working together, he's not just gonna let you waltz off and spoil their plans."

"That…I don't know," Regina sighed, frowning at that. It wasn't like she would be able to get near Piper. Normally she'd just rip out the girl's heart and use that as leverage over Gold to keep quiet. But she wouldn't be able to do that with the girl being part-siren, not only would her heart have been protected from just such an event, but she doubted she'd be able to get close enough to the woman to do it either, not now that they knew which side she was really on. There was no one else that Gold valued to keep him silent except his grandson and she would _never_ harm Henry, no matter what.

"Leave that to me," Emma said after a moment.

~8~

The Author frowned as he looked around at the small cabin in the woods he'd been shoved into by Gold, "Well, this is certainly homey. Antlers are a nice touch," he nodded to the wall with the ornament on it, "Makes me feel like Hemingway. Or maybe Thoreau. Name's Isaac, by the way."

"Do you always talk this much?" Gold glared.

"Only when I'm nervous," he took a deep breath, "And you still have my quill."

"I believe it is Rummy's quill at the moment," Piper smirked.

"You know, it's worthless without its ink," Isaac warned.

"Oh, we're aware, and we plan to obtain some very soon," Gold agreed, nonchalant.

"Yeah," Isaac scoffed, "And just how are you gonna do that?"

"That is for us to know and you to find out," Piper moved to sit down on a small armchair, putting her feet up on a table before her. Gold smiled and moved to sit on the arm of the chair, his gaze drifting to her stomach, her bump just a little more noticeable from that angle and closeness and with him knowing where to look.

"You want me to write happy endings," Isaac said slowly, "For the villains, I assume?"

"However did you guess that," Gold remarked sarcastically.

"But the quill, the ink, it's oriented towards the _heroes_ having happy endings," Isaac frowned in thought, trying to work out how their plan involved him, "If you want the villains to come out on top, you need…like anti-ink," he shook his head, that was a stupid word but it DID spark an epiphany in his mind, "You need ink from someone that brings happy endings to the villains, but that doesn't exist. There's just the savior and she's a hero so the light gets the happy endings and…" his eyes widened, "You want to turn the Savior dark!"

Piper nearly smirked at that, it seemed it wasn't just villains that assumed things. That Author, he was rather dim if he thought that was the only plan or even believed it was the actual plan. He truly didn't know the characters at play very well if he thought that she would be willing to do that to Emma. August had told her, warned her really, of exactly why the Author was in the book, he'd started to interfere and manipulate the stories instead of write them down from observation.

It seemed rather like the Sorcerer was using excuses, she thought. It was too Deus Ex Machina for her, putting in some sort of twist to explain how some event had happened that was completely out of character for someone. Even now, it seemed like the Heroes were looking for an excuse to their behavior, something they never allowed the Villains to do. She highly doubted the Author being involved would mean anything. After all, if a _villain_ claimed that their actions and dark deeds were manipulated by the Author and not themselves choosing to do it...the heroes would laugh at that and continue to think them evil no matter what. Why should a hero be allowed to use the Author as an excuse when no one else would?

Really, she doubted that the man was able to write them doing all these different manipulations. He didn't have a grasp of her at all if he thought she'd harm Emma that way, if he didn't understand his characters, he would never be able to write them effectively or believably. No, it made more sense that he had given them different options than would be presented and let them pick new choices. It would have been very clear if characters that had always operated one way suddenly changed, but that hadn't happened. To her dying breath, she could guess, Snow White would deny what she did was wrong and fight that it was good and just. No, the Author didn't MAKE her do what she did, he just offered her the choice and Snow took it.

"I suppose you'll find out if you're right soon enough," Gold mused, "When our associates return."

"Your associates seem to have a taste for fur," Isaac looked around, seeing a few fur coats scattered about, "And perfume," he wrinkled his nose at the subtle smell that was still there, "Can't wait to meet them."

"Surely you must know them from your stories," Gold glanced over.

"Know of them, sure, but an author rarely gets…"

"Oh do shut up," Piper muttered, pulling her phone out as it began to ring, she quickly accessed it to see a text message from Emma. She held it up to Gold to see the girl's request to meet by the wishing well.

"Hmm," Gold murmured, nodding his answer to Piper and helping her up, "Something's just come up," he glanced at Isaac, waving his hand at the door to the cabin to seal it magically, preventing him from escaping, "You stay here till we return."

"Until you return?" Isaac frowned, "But who's gonna…" that was all they heard as they disappeared in a swirl of red, the two of them reappearing before the well where Emma was standing.

"Emma?" Piper called, stepping over to her niece, "What is the matter?"

"The Author," Emma turned to them, " _Please_ tell me he's with you."

"Yes," Gold nodded, "He is in our possession."

"Good," Emma let out a breath, almost smirking when she saw Gold raise an eyebrow at that, seemingly surprised that she was happy about the man being in the possession of villains, "Aunt P told me about your heart, you're…you're dying, you need him to help you."

Gold sighed, "If only it were just that, Ms. Swan," Emma frowned at that, "My heart is weakening, yes," he explained, "But when it fails entirely, I will lose any ability to love," he looked at Piper for that, "And whatever goodness exists in me that keeps me protecting those I love, that will be gone forever. All that will be left is the Darkness, all that will exits of me is a shell that it will operate through."

"Oh my god," Emma breathed out, looking at Piper to see her looking intently at Gold instead. She could understand why Piper hadn't said that, that was some heavy magic there. No one would want to think of that worse-case scenario happening, that Gold and everything that made him him, that kept him somewhat human, would be lost and all that would be left is the actual darkness that made the Dark One. It was, essentially, as Piper had said though, Gold, all that he was, would die if they didn't fix his heart in time, "But the Author can stop it?"

"He can reverse the process, yes," Gold agreed, looking away from Piper and to Emma.

"But that is not why you called us here, is it?" Piper asked her.

Emma sighed, "No," she nodded, "Regina is heading to New York to rescue Robin Hood from Zelena," she eyed them carefully to see how they would react, but they both appeared unsurprised, whether by Regina's decision or Zelena's existence or both she wasn't sure, but it did tell her that they knew Zelena was alive, there would be more time later to find out why they hadn't said, she needed to make sure of something NOW first, "I need you to not tell her that Regina's coming."

"Done."

Emma blinked at how quickly Gold had agreed to that, "What, seriously?"

"Yes."

"Just like that?"

"Yes."

"No deals?"

"Not this time, Ms. Swan."

"Huh," Emma let out a small breath at that.

Piper smiled, "We would rather see her dead as well Emma," she reminded the girl, "Rummy would not have agreed to keep her secret till now had she not given a potion that allowed us enough time to return to Storybrooke for the Author."

"I thought it might have been something like that," Emma murmured, but eyed Gold, "But you're really not going to tell her?"

Gold rolled his eyes, "Would it make you feel better if we made a deal?"

"Actually, yeah," Emma nodded, she knew he'd never go back on that at least, "It would."

"Alright," Gold considered it, till Piper gave him a small nudge in the ribs, "I shall agree not to breathe a word of Regina's quest to Zelena, if you ensure that her miserable existence ends."

That was one reason he had kept silent about Zelena as well. She was less powerful in the Land Without Magic, not fully powerless, but not as much a threat in the magicless New York than in magical Storybrooke. There was much more danger that they hoped she would fall into during her stay there, human means to an end, a car accident, a mugging gone wrong, a disease. If Zelena wasn't in Storybrooke, she wasn't a threat, and, to be frank, truce with Regina or not, they didn't particularly care if she fooled Robin Hood. She wouldn't dare harm Roland and reveal her farce to the man, and if he ever grew suspicious, the first thing he would do is get Roland to safety.

Emma almost laughed at that, "Yeah, I think Regina will have that part covered."

She knew Regina had given Zelena a second chance, with the express warning that if she failed to use it, she would have no qualms with killing the woman herself. And if this is what Zelena chose to do with her second chance, destroy Robin's memory of his wife, traumatize his son, and separate soul mates, well…she didn't doubt Regina would go through with her threat, sister or no sister.

"Then we have a deal," Gold nodded.

~8~

Isaac nearly jumped out of his skin when the door to the cabin slammed open a short while later and Piper stalked through, heading right for him, her pipe in her hand, a murderous look in her eyes, making his own widen as he stumbled back, hitting the wall and lifting his hands to his ears in an attempt to ward off her attack, but he was too slow.

"What did you do to Cruella?" she demanded, lowering her pipe from her lips after he'd seized on the ground for a good half a minute.

"W…what?" he whimpered.

"Tell me!" Piper demanded, leaning down to curl her hand into the cloth of his shirt.

Gold just looked on, rather amused, standing calmly in the doorway to watch the show.

"I…I don't…"

"You did something to Cruella in the past," Piper shook him, keeping his gaze on her, "She wants revenge on you…"

"I…we…she…I don't…"

"Lie to me," Piper warned, pressing the end of her pipe to just under his jaw as though it were a knife or sword tip, "And I will have you bleeding out your ears till you are deaf," her voice took on such a low and dark quality that Gold was quite sure, if Isaac hadn't been wearing dark trousers, the evidence of how frightened the man was would be very visible.

"Please don't hurt me," he begged, "I didn't think it was relevant to say…"

"Relevant?" Piper hissed, "She has taken MY nephew as leverage," she informed him, thinking of a video message she had received, forwarded from Emma in the middle of them searching through the Sorcerer's mansion one last time for anything that might help them. The message had had her nearly snarling and running out the door before Gold had caught her and magiced them to the cabin. The video, it revealed Henry had been captured by Cruella, that the woman was not going to release him, alive, until the author had been killed instead. And she was NOT about to see that happen to the boy, "She wants YOU dead, and unless you would like to meet that end you will tell me exactly WHY she wants your life so badly."

"I would tell her," Gold spoke for the first time since they arrived, he really did love to see Piper in her most protective, siren-like element, it made something coil in his stomach to think of just how far she would go for those she loved. Oh heroes always went on about doing anything for love, but they hardly ever actually went through to the very end, villains though would do anything, no matter how dark, and it was thrilling to see it play out.

"Are…are you planning to let her kill me?" Isaac looked between them, "Turn the savior dark by making her kill me?!"

"Your life is _meaningless_ to me," Piper reminded him, "You die, your power passes to the next Author, an Author we do not know who they are as of yet. I would rather deal with the Author in our possession than search the world for the next one."

"Your life is only valuable as the Author," Gold said simply, "You wish to stay alive, you need to remain the Author."

"But…Henry…" Isaac seemed almost startled as he looked at Piper, was the woman actually willing to let the boy die so HE could live? That didn't sound like her.

"Oh Cruella _will_ meet her end for this," Piper smirked darkly, making Isaac shiver in fear even though the threat wasn't directed at him, "She serves no use to us any longer. But you," her gaze locked on his, "There is nothing that says the Author must have all his limbs, merely that he _lives_ , so…" she tilted her head in a dangerous manner, using the pipe to turn his face up more, "You tell us what you did to Cruella that has her using my family as leverage, or I shall begin removing extremities," her eyes traveled to his hands, "You only need two fingers to hold a pen, after all."

Isaac swallowed hard, "I…I changed her story," he admitted, "When I found out what she was really like, I wrote that…that…"

"Wrote WHAT?" Piper's grip on his shirt tightened.

"I wrote that Cruella De Vil can no longer take away the life of another!"

Piper blinked at that, holding her grip on him for one more moment before shoving him away from her and standing slowly, her pipe slipping into her boot as she looked down at him.

"So you see?" Isaac panted, his hands still half-raised above his face, "Henry's safe. Cruella can't kill anyone. She's defenseless!"

"Which is something Emma doesn't know," Gold mused, looking at Piper as she turned on her heel to face him, "Her son is in danger, Emma won't stop till he's safe."

Piper nodded, walking out of the cabin silently, pausing when Gold reached out to gently grab her arm, "Pip…" he gave her a meaningful look.

Piper smiled softly at it, reaching out to touch his cheek, "I know," she reassured him.

With all the talk of how they were 'plotting' for Emma to go dark, she could see it in his eyes, he was worried that she might believe he'd _planned_ this in bringing Cruella along, that somehow he had planned for her to get Henry in an effort to drive Emma to do a dark act and trigger her descent to darkness.

But she knew he had nothing to do with this. It wasn't his fault, the moment that she had gotten the message, he had taken her back to the cabin to confront Isaac. He was letting her go, even now, to try and get to Emma first to _stop_ her. He didn't want this to happen to Emma any more than she did.

From the beginning the plan had never been to harm Emma or turn her dark. They had planned to get a bit of her blood and see if they could infuse it with dark magic to make the ink for the Author. They had back up upon back up for what they could do before they would ever have to consider pushing Emma towards darkness, it was something they both wished to avoid and refused to do no matter what. Finding out about Maleficent's child had been the perfect change to the plan. Emma's darkness as a savior was in someone else, if they found her, her blood would be infused with the dark-savior magic as a result.

Piper glanced back over her shoulder at Isaac, still curled on the floor, "Watch him," she gave a small command to Gold, who nodded. With Cruella about to meet a painful end, and without knowing if Maleficent blamed the Author for what happened to her daughter, whom they had found out just recently was still alive and survived the trip to this world, and with the heroes likely roaming the woods in search of Emma, it would not do for the man to be found unprotected.

"Be safe," he murmured to her, squeezing her hand as he slid his hand down her arm to her hand a moment. He shouldn't let her go, he felt like most men in his position wouldn't. To have someone he loved, pregnant with his child, go off to face a deranged villain while he essentially babysat a grown man? But Cruella couldn't hurt her at all, he knew that now. She was safe from the woman's cruelty. And if Emma was there, if Henry was there (which he was as prisoner), Piper would be safe if other heroes appeared too. She was in no danger, and of the two of them she was the one better able to move quickly through the woods.

Piper nodded, stepping outside the cabin and shutting the door behind her, closing her eyes and listening for the familiar song of her nephew in the woods. Her eyes opened as she looked to the side, faintly hearing it in the distance, along with the melody of Cruella de Vil.

~8~

Piper ran as fast and safely as she could through the woods, trying not to overdo it, her hand resting on her stomach as she went for more support. It was an unconscious habit she had seemed to have picked up since finding out she was pregnant. She kept wanting to touch and rest her hand on her stomach, as though trying to reassure herself that the baby was still there. She would be lying if she said she hadn't woken up from nightmares that the baby had been lost, that she stood in the burning room unable to get to the cries of her baby who was invisible to her through the flames. For now it was still there and she was determined to see it born.

She sped up more when she was able to hear another voice ahead of her shouting, "Henry!"

"Emma," Piper gasped, jumping over a small log more agilely than she thought she ought to be able and hurrying down a small incline to where she could hear a little waterfall. There was a ledge of rocks at the edge of the forest just above the river that ran through the majority of the woods.

She could see it now, Cruella, Henry, and Emma were just before her. Cruella had Henry pulled against her front, a pistol pressed against Henry's temple, standing just at the edge of it all while Emma stood before them, her hands up, glaring at Cruella.

"Mom!" Henry cried, grunting as he tried to escape Cruella's hold.

"Let him go!" Emma demanded.

Piper slowed, seeing that Cruella was too distracted by Emma, too focused on the savior, to notice her approaching from the side, she needed to be quiet, she needed to keep that advantage, get as close as she could and find some way to help. It was taking everything inside of her not to rush the woman as her instincts were demanding her to do, to lunge at her and rip her throat out for daring even touch Henry. But this was too important, her nephew was in a tight grip, one wrong move and Henry would be hurt due to her actions. She never wanted to repeat what happened with Baelfire ever again, so she had to fight, she had to fight the Siren in her just a little longer...

"I'm afraid not," Cruella mock-cooed, "Come any closer, and he dies. One, small, dead Author. That's all I asked. Simple revenge, and you failed utterly."

"Put the gun down, Cruella!"

Piper let out a gentle whistle, quiet, on a breeze, but with a faint hint of Henry's song in it, pulling his attention and his alone to her.

"Mom…" Henry began, seeming about to warn Emma that she was there, that help had arrived, till she held up a finger to her lips and crept closer still

Henry gave a brief nod, focusing on his mother before him, but Piper could see his gaze on her in the corner of his eye, could tell he wasn't quite as tense now that it was outnumbered 2 to 1 and not in favor of Cruella.

"It's gonna be ok, Henry," Emma tried to soothe, not seeming to have noticed how Henry's attention had shifted, neither had Cruella, both women were intently focused on each other.

"I'll do it, Savior," Cruella stepped back more towards the ledge, shifting her arm up higher, gripping Henry tighter, "Believe me, I will!"

"Cruella…" Emma lifted her hands more.

"Put your hands down, savior," Cruella rolled her eyes, "We both know you're bluffing."

And with her next words, Piper knew Emma was most certainly _not_ , "That's my son."

Piper quickly pulled her pipe out of her boot, bringing it to her lips and starting to build the energy into a song, playing quickly to build it faster, thankful for the waterfall beside her masking the noise of her pipe to the trio before her. She could see a faint shimmering on Emma's hands, the girl preparing to use her own magic against Cruella…and that was not something she was going to let happen. She had told Emma, sworn to her, that she would protect the girl from darkening her heart.

It would be one thing if Emma had had her natural darkness inside her, she would let Emma do anything she wanted so long as she was _conscious_ of what she was doing, had _thought_ long and hard about it and the consequences of it, and saw it through to the end. She highly, highly doubted Emma would _ever_ see a dark deed through to the end though, and so she would step in and finish it. But this wasn't the same thing, the Emma before her had no darkness in her and any introduction to darkness, it would affect her ten times worse than it should, she was sure. The Emma before her also wasn't thinking clearly either. She was hurt by what her parents had done, she had the notions in her mind that being dark wouldn't be that bad given that half her family was dark, she had her son and her motherly instincts to contend with, possibly a little bit of Siren-instinct too.

This was not an Emma thinking of the consequences, this was not an Emma in control of her magic either, this was an emotional and irrational Emma and that made the act she was about to do something she knew Emma would regret later.

"And you're a hero," Cruella just continued to bait though, "And heroes don't kill."

"No, but I do!" Piper shouted, using the momentary shock and distraction of both Emma and Cruella looking over in her direction to fling out her pipe, glowing with energy, at Cruella, shouting 'Duck!' to Henry as she did it, the boy dropping to the ground as the blast hit Cruella, sending her flying off the ledge and down towards the rocky water below.

Emma seemed to stare at Piper a moment longer, before her gaze flickered to her hands as the shimmering started to fade, and then to Henry, still on the ground, "Henry!" she hurried to her son's side, helping him to his knees, hugging him tightly as Piper came over, peering over the cliff at Cruella's broken body lying on the rocks below.

"Mom," Henry panted, tightly clutching her.

"You're ok," Emma breathed, swaying side to side a bit as she reassured herself that Henry was alright. Her gaze flickered up to Piper, "Thank you," she whispered to the woman.

"I have told you before Emma," Piper reminded her, "I shall allow no darkness to poison my family if I can help it."

"I would have killed her," she murmured, "I would have done it. She had Henry…"

"And a mother's instinct is to protect her child, a siren's to protect her family," Piper reassured her, it was different when it came to Mary Margaret and her actions lately. It went beyond a mother's instinct, it wasn't instant nor a reaction, it was something growing every day, something she didn't really take back, something that she kept repeating and reinforcing with each encounter. It was too patient and calculated and long coming to be instinct. Even in the Enchanted Forest, with what she did to Emma, she had time enough to think about what she was doing, to plan and go through with it, she also had someone else there to stop her and talk sense into her but refused to listen, "I would have been truly disappointed if your first reaction upon seeing someone hold a gun to your son was not to try and end them."

"You should have let me."

"No," Piper shook her head, knowing it was just the anxiety of the situation making Emma say that, "Cruella," she sighed, "The Author had written that she could never take the life of another. Despite her claims she would harm Henry, she would not have been able to do it. She was truly defenseless, if you had done this," she gestured at the cliff, "And then found the truth, you would be devastated, Emma, I know that much."

Emma closed her eyes tightly, swallowing hard at the information she'd been given and nodded slightly, knowing it was the truth. If she _had_ killed Cruella and then found out that the woman couldn't hurt a fly, she would have been not just devastated, but disgusted with herself for letting herself react the way she had. She could understand more what Piper must have felt with Neal and Gold and that whole situation. She let her emotions get the best of her and someone innocent, well as innocent as Cruella could be, had nearly been killed at her hands. She saw what that had done to Piper, when she remembered the Missing Year, she never wanted to reach that point where she easily took a life just because she was angry. But even now she couldn't help but wonder if that was the real her that felt that way, or the her her parents had made her into.

"Thank you," Emma murmured, looking at Piper again, "But how did you know she…"

"Isaac," Piper shrugged, stepping away from the ledge, "The Author. When I received your text, I confronted him as to why Cruella wished him dead so badly. He confessed to what he had written…after some persuasion."

"Persuasion?" Emma cracked a small smile at that, just imagining what that could entail.

"Let us just say…" Piper smirked, "He was quite lucky to be wearing brown pants."

Emma had just started to laugh at that, feeling Henry chuckle against her as well, when they heard David's voice shout in the distance.

"No!"

They looked over to see David, Mary Margaret, Hook, and Regina rushing for them, Piper stiffening at the sight of the Charmings. David ran to the edge of the ledge, looking over as Piper had done and closing his eyes in shock and horror.

"Emma?" Mary Margaret breathed, gasping as she saw what laid below and turning to her daughter with wide, tearing eyes.

Piper opened her mouth to inform them that it had NOT been Emma that had done such a deed, when Emma stood with Henry, "She was going to kill my son," Emma defended.

Piper looked over at Emma sharply for that, a small frown of confusion on her face. But Emma's expression, the look in her eyes, told Piper all she needed to know about the reason for Emma's statement.

She wanted to see what her parents would do, what they'd say, about this, about thinking SHE had done this to Cruella.

Emma hadn't even expressly said that she'd done it, hadn't confirmed or denied the accusation in her mother's words, merely said that Cruella was going to kill Henry. It was by no means a confession, but to those that already thought someone was guilty, it was as good as.

"Oh Emma," Mary Margaret shook her head in shock.

"She _threatened_ my _son_ ," Emma nearly glared, "You would think you heroes would be happy that a villain was dead and that the town was safe again."

"Not like this Emma," Mary Margaret frowned, "Not when someone, even if they were a villain, was _killed_ ," she hadn't even been able to kill Regina in her Evil Queen days, killing…was not the answer.

"Then explain to me again why you sent Gold over the line?" Emma crossed her arms, not entirely thinking about how Mary Margaret didn't really know just how close Piper, or the baby, or even Gold now, had come to death. Mary Margaret didn't even HAVE to know about what would happen to his heart, her intention to get Gold and Gold alone out of the town was enough, because Gold, with nothing but the clothes on his back, had been condemned to trying to start a new life with literally NOTHING, no way to pay for food or shelter or anything, "An innocent-villain was as good as left for dead, sending Gold, powerless, into the magicless world? And what would that have done to Piper?" Emma jerked an arm at the silent woman, "She could die if Gold does. Or do you not consider Piper to be deserving of protection anymore?"

Mary Margaret looked over at Piper at that, the siren's expression so blank and cold as she looked back that Mary Margaret couldn't help but flinch at the sight. She looked back at the ledge where Cruella had obviously fallen, and to Piper. The girl had always claimed she would protect the family, despite what she felt for Mary Margaret herself, that she would keep Emma and Henry and the family _safe_.

But she hadn't, had she?

She had been right there, but she hadn't done a thing to ensure that Emma not hurt Cruella. She hadn't done as she'd promised and taken the dark deed for herself but let Emma do it. She really WAS trying to turn Emma dark, wasn't she?

Mary Margaret closed her eyes and said the words that broke her heart, "No, she isn't."

Piper's jaw clenched at that. It was one thing for Mary Margaret to indirectly hurt her in sending Gold over the line, it was one thing for her to imply a distrust in Gold and therefore in her own judgement too, and it was one thing to shout hate while under the Shattered Sight Curse, but it was quite another to, of her own freewill, say that right to her face. Because it was more than just saying that Mary Margaret wouldn't protect her from others, as though she ever really had in the first place. It was something far more painful to hear said.

It was at that moment that Piper knew, without a doubt, that whatever familial ties she had once had with Snow White were completely severed.

This was Snow White's agreement that she didn't consider Piper her cousin, consider her family, any longer.

And it was in that moment that she realized, she was NOT going to go along with Gold's plan, the plan he had tried to help her devise, to use psychology to get revenge on Snow White, to help heal the rift between them so she might one day forgive her cousin her harms. What Gold had in mind...it was not big enough, not _painful_ enough. It wasn't enough to ruin her reputation, to mock her hypocrisy, to reveal her own villainous nature to the town.

No.

She was going to find some other form of revenge, something that would break Snow White more than anything else.

And this time, it was not going to be to heal their broken relationship, for what point was there to heal it when BOTH sides had broken the ties to it.

This time…this time it was going to be for _genuine_ revenge.

"Well then," Piper cleared her throat, "May the games begin."

A/N: Oh Snow, you just keep digging your self down deeper don't you? :( I hope it made sense, how Snow is reacting. To her, at this point, with what she THINKS she just witnessed and what she thinks her cousin just allowed Emma to do, she's now convinced Piper really IS trying to turn Emma dark, that that's her revenge against her. At this point, Snow is choosing her daughter over her cousin, in her mind. To her, Piper has fully turned against them all and, in her mind, MUST be manipulating Henry and Emma into believing her intentions aren't to hurt the two of them.

She completely wrong, but based on what she knows or thinks she knows, she's seeing Piper as the enemy here :(

I also feel like, some part of Piper, deep down, did want to mend her relationship with Snow, because she knows Snow feels horrible deep down and regrets what she did, or will feel that way with enough time. But here she is being confronted with Snow giving up on her too. To Piper, it's one thing for her to cut ties with Snow over Snow's real and actual betrayal that she witnessed and lived through and knows it happened as a fact, it's another thing for Snow to cut ties to Piper based on what she _thinks_ happened and having NOT been there to witness and live through and know what really went down. To Piper it's saying that Snow finally and fully believes her capable of hurting her family and not believing in her, so why should she take revenge to eventually mend their relationship when Snow, the eternal optimist and hero and forgiver, has cut the ties to said relationship. This is Snow effectively saying there is nothing broken to mend any more, there is nothing there any more. So, for a Siren to have nothing to fix with revenge, and seeing how easily Snow is giving up and based on assumptions instead of fact, she feels free to actually express her hurt by revenge just for revenge's sake :(

Also, small note. I've opened an Etsy for the candle business I mentioned in the last chapter. I've posted some pictures of it on my tumblr and I'm adding the link to my profile. But if anyone is interested, my Etsy shop is called 'AnitaCandle' (because I Need a Candle lol), and I'm currently selling OUAT inspired votives for pairings of Captain Swan, Swan Queen, Outlaw Queen, Snowing, and Rumbelle, or my interpretations of them in candle form, black cube candles inspired by Doctor Who's Power of Three episode, some 6" TARDIS candles, small Death Star candles, misc. tarts like a goody bag of random/mystery scents, coffee themed candles of coffee scent set in coffee mugs, and 12oz jars of soy candles in various scents and colors ;)

There is also an updated schedule for the 2016 stories on my tumblr too ;)

Some notes on reviews...

Just to respond to a few reviews in one go, I'm really glad to be back too! I really am so sorry to have worried you all though :( I'm really happy that you're all excited for the stories to pick up again, I know I am :)

It makes sense to me. I felt like in the Operation Mongoose, it was a let down because instead of giving us a unique and original take on Snow White being a villain...they just swapped her with Regina, and we already saw that story play out :( Equally, the heroes rarely ever face the consequences of their actions, and when they do, they just deny deny deny, like Snow and Charming are doing now. They're being faced with what they did to Maleficent, but STILL claiming it was the right thing to do, which means all the other heroes would agree with them and so they never actually face repercussions of what they do, unlike the Villains who just get the short end of the stick all the time :(

Aww thank you! :) I'm glad you're enjoying the story even though you don't watch the show much :') That's awesome your friend works at a BN too, so far I'm really happy. My coworkers are really nice and helpful since I'm still pretty new, and no matter what day it is (slow or busy) it's all really a good change for me. I think what really started to get to me in my other jobs was the routine of it all, even if I'm making the same drink 4 times in a row, it's for a different person and it's always changing, I'm able to engage more and be active more which is what I think I needed after being pretty static in taking care of my dad :) Life is definitely crazy and tough, writing is definitely a way I relax and cheer up after long or bad days too :) Lol, I've got a few candles up on my Etsy, I might add more as the year goes :) And thank you! :)

I sort of feel like, with Season 5, this is the writers last attempt at really keeping the show another season. Like, how do you top the Underworld? That location alone would pull a lot of people in, but depending how they play it it might just end up being an enormous let down. They built up the Dark Swan thing so much and then Emma wasn't all that dark and way too much was lost or convoluted for the season :( But thank you! I'll definitely check it out :)

I hope your presentation went well! :)

Oh the twist with Gold will very much fit in this story, I think that was the one thing I was happy with in Season 5. I was a little disappointed with Merlin too, almost in the opposite though. I felt like they built him up to be this really important thing and really central to the plot...and he barely did anything, in my opinion, and then was just killed off so simply :/ I was a little let down about Hook being the Dark One too, like after spending 300 years chasing one and learning about him, should we really believe Hook had NO idea he'd become one? That he didn't see the signs? I agree, he was fun for a little, but then that went poof also. And now it seems like we're going to have the exception to the 'the dead CANNOT come back to life' rule, just because it's Hook and just because it's the Savior :( I have a few little twists for why Emma will go to the Underworld though, no worries there ;)

I'm glad you like Piper :) I like to think of her as a person that just does what she has to to keep people she cares about safe, whether it's good or evil, and just doesn't care whether people understand her or her reasons or not, she'll do what she wants and take the consequences. I think that's also something she's dealing with here, the consequences. Like if Snow had made it clear all along that she didn't agree with what Piper was or how she turned out, that she really DID have an issue with her darkness, Piper would see it as a consequence of being what she is and acting how she did that made her cousin feel that way. For her, it's feeling like it's coming out of nowhere and feels more like a betrayal on Snow's part than something SHE did herself that led to it :(

Sorry I worried you! My dad's doing better, back at work now and he seems really happy to have something to do again and be healthy enough to do it :) Everything is alright yup ;) I have a bit of a cold, but nothing terrible or that's getting in the way so far, but beyond that everything's is going well :)

Thank you! I'm glad to be back :) I'm looking forward to Season 5 too :) I think I always thought Gold would get his powers back, even from the moment he sort of lost them. To me, I doubted they'd keep Emma dark, not with Snow and Charming trying to get her back, so the darkness would have to go somewhere and Gold would probably be the only one that would want it back. I took his 300 years of being magic and having not wanted to ever be a coward again as saying he would do whatever it took to get the magic back even if it meant being the Dark One again.

I felt like a lot of flashbacks in Season 5 weren't needed too, we could have had much more character development without the unnecessary flashbacks :/ I didn't understand the end of the Season either, like Belle wanted to be separated, she left, and out of nowhere she comes back and sleeps with him? It was odd and made Belle seem too back and forth about what she wants. I think the magic for Gold isn't an addiction but just who he is, it's infused into him when he became the Dark One. With Regina though, I think for her it's more an addiction, the darker impulses, it's what she sort of grew into and began to choose to do instead of something that bound to her body and soul like with Gold. For Gold, I agree, it's something he wanted and never really wanted to give up, because it gave him strength and power and courage. For this site, when it comes to leaving urls, I think it ends up putting spaces between the . or writing it it shows up, maybe? I'm still trying to work out how to get the urls to work on my profile page too lol. But thanks, I'll check it out! :)

Lol, Robin probably won't be killed by the Fury just yet, I'm still holding out hope that we'll learn more about his past that was, apparently, so dark that he could forgive the Evil Queen 'killing' his wife (though I don't think she actually was the one that killed Marian in any timeline) :)

I think Piper would have an actual heart attack if it was twins, she's worried and freaked out over just one baby being a target of her enemies, two might kill her lol :)

My dad's doing well, recovered from his pneumonia safely and is back at work. He's finished with his chemo though, according to the doctors, he might still have another month or two where he feels the effect of it from time to time but he's doing better :) I'm so sorry for your loss :'( If you ever need anything, I'm here to talk or listen or anything. My brother is, supposedly, meeting up with an ex-girlfriend of his (his only serious girlfriend besides his current possibly-still-fiance) today for his birthday and we're all actually crossing our fingers that, even if he doesn't get back together with her, he at least realizes or remembers how happy he was with her and sees how miserable he is now, but we'll see. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter :) I think, for Snowing, they really don't want to think about how close they came to possibly killing Emma in the womb, to them, the Sorcerer is good/a hero and his Apprentice has to be and 'heroes don't kill' or whatever they think, they probably just want to think that it's Emma's emotions running high and not that they could have actually put her in that much danger :( We'll definitely see a conversation/confrontation about Piper's child when/if Snowing find out she's pregnant though }:) I have many, many twists for Season 5 planned, I needed it to keep my sanity watching the season and try to find some way to enjoy it. I hope they see Neal there, in a nicer part of the Underworld, and if they do you can bet Piper will have something to say about how they're rescuing Hook so he can live so why not other people that died? Or are they forgetting the laws of Magic? I do have a tentative twist in mind for the Underworld, but it'll depend on if they succeed in getting Hook back or not first. I'm still holding out hope that Zelena did something and stole Robin and Regina's baby from Regina's womb with magic and that the baby really IS Regina and Robin's and Zelena just manipulated/altered his memories of his time in NY to make him think he slept with Zelena. I did watch Tut, yup :) Looking at it from a purely entertainment POV, it was good. Not quite as accurate as it could have been, but decent and entertaining :)

I might make some candles based on the OCs :) In my search for scents, I actually found one called 'Golden Rose' and was like...Rose and Gold? :) But we'll have to see :) And thank you! I'm glad to back :)


	35. Welcome to the Family?

Welcome to the Family?

Ilayda had not known what it meant to fidget before Ethan had identified the odd habit she had seemed to develop while standing before the closed doors to the former King's private study, a study that now belonged to her betrothed…land-walkers, they had such odd names for their mates, most seeming to identify varying stages of this 'courtship' Ethan had mentioned to her. Why they could not just call their other half their mate was beyond her, but she was not in a position to truly question their customs.

She had been in the castle, Ethan's castle, in his kingdom for just shy a week, and didn't time move oddly for land-walkers as well. She kept time by the tides, by the moon or sun being in the sky, needing no other knowledge of minutes or hours or seconds, what purpose did they serve? She had been there a short time, she knew that much, and Ethan had already sent word to his parents, the former King and Queen of the land, that he had found a woman he wished to marry. He had assured her that his parents would love her, that he had made clear that this was not a flight of fancy, that he had been in contact with her for a year and had developed feelings for her. He had even gone so far as to claim that she would be an enormous benefit to the kingdom should they wed, how that was possible she didn't know. She was a banished, powerless, Siren trying to live on dry land with nothing else to her but her name now that her magic was gone.

Most would likely think that the reason for her fidgeting, for going back and forth from foot to foot while staring at the heavy wooden doors, that she was nervous to meet her mate's parents. But she truly was not worried nor did she care what they thought of her, so long as Ethan's heart hadn't changed, what his parents thought meant little to her. They weren't Ethan. No, her 'fidgeting' as Ethan called it was more a result of living her life in the sea and standing on the constantly moving water, she was unused to being motionless while standing and was compensating in using her normal method for stability. If she had felt nervous at all, it would have taken shape much earlier. Like when the people had first seen her enter the kingdom. There had been whispers of course, when she and Ethan had arrived at his castle the first day. She had taken a while to get used to walking on a floor that didn't shift and sway and sink beneath her, it had taken them longer than it should have to get to the castle and she had nearly lost balance more times than she cared to admit. The peasants were already out and about their business for the day, they had seen him leading her towards the castle, her clothing quite obviously of the sea being made of seaweed and netting, the king's own cloak thrown over her shoulders when she realized that she was _cold_. That was another odd sensation, warmth and chill, it didn't exist much in the waters, her magic kept her comfortable while below the waters and above. Now that she was without, she had started to shake till Ethan realized she wasn't reacting well to the temperature in her wet clothing and covered her.

The people had been startled, shocked, and very wary of her, seeming able to guess what she was by her appearance and clothing, likely what was told to them a Siren was by means of warning. They had been especially so when she _entered_ the castle with the king and never stepped out of it again.

If Ethan's people reacted like that just from seeing her and having no other idea about his intentions with her…she could only imagine how his parents would react. She was almost intrigued as to what that would be. She had not heard any distinct shouting when the former royals had arrived, Ethan had rushed them into the castle and to the study to speak. She had been watching from her room high above and had later gone to try and distract herself in the garden where there was a large fountain situated, sitting on the edge of the stone and absently letting her hand drift along the waters within. She hadn't seen Ethan's parents since, but now she had been summoned to an audience with them.

She considered it lucky that it was to take place in the study and not the throne room though. She had seen Ethan hold court there briefly, it was an imposing room and without her magic she felt just slightly more intimidated by the humans than she normally would have, especially being so outnumbered by them, being essentially powerless to protect herself by her normal means, and knowing what humans naturally thought of her kind. Oh she had no doubts Ethan would keep true to his word and protect her, ensure she was safe, and cherish her as his wife, she did not doubt that at all. She had no _need_ to fear his parents and had expressly said as much, which had only earned a light chuckle from Ethan when he asked why she appeared to be fidgeting with nerves at the mention of their arrival then. He had gone to see his parents shortly after, to explain the situation, and she waited till now. No, it was best in private than in public, she was not one to be open and warm to others who had not earned it, and she knew it would upset Ethan if she acted so to his parents in front of all his subjects.

She took a breath, shaking her head from her thoughts and straightening her spin, lifting her chin, she was NOT a simpering and weak human by any stretch of the imagination. Magic or no, she would hold herself with all the power and grace a Siren was meant to have. She would not back down, she would not cower before two land-walkers that meant little to her. Yes, they had been the king and queen, but they had since given up that power to Ethan, they gave up the title that gave them a say in the kingdom. And yes, they were her mate's family, but they were not HER family, not yet, perhaps not ever. If they disagreed with this pairing, then she was sure of two things. The first was that they would never be seen as family in her eyes, never be allowed into her heart as part of her new clan. The second…even if they disapproved, Ethan would _still_ go through with their marriage. He had sworn that to her, no matter what they _would_ wed.

With that in mind, she strode for the doors, pushing them open a little more forcefully than she intended but with a power that seemed to startle the older man and woman within. She gave a passing look at them, taking them in quickly as she entered. The former king was sitting before a small fire in the fireplace on a plush armchair, his wife across from him in an equally plush chair. Both were, she was sure the humans would think, elegant in their age, their faces devoid of the many wrinkles she had seen elderly peasants wearing, but with a line or two to show their age. Their hair was dark, already greying though, and they wore clothing of white with dark red and gold embellishments. They were ever the picture of royalty despite having stepped down to allow their sons to rule.

She made a small note to inquire where Ethan's brother was in this charming family reunion, but pushed the thought aside.

She pulled her gaze away from the former royals and towards Ethan, "My love."

Ethan's smile was radiant at her words as he quickly pushed away from the mantle of the fireplace he'd been leaning against to speak to his father to walk to her, taking her hand and quickly kissing the back of it, "My love," he repeated, a softer tone in his voice than had been in hers, but that was just how her voice was.

Unless she was singing, her voice and tone tended to remain the same, sounding impassive and cold to others, especially around others she didn't trust, but he looked more in her eyes when she spoke, he saw more of what she was feeling than her words expressed.

"Mother, father," he turned, tucking her hand into the crook of his arm, which drew her gaze down to it for a moment, still not used to the conventions and customs of the land-walkers, especially when it came to men and women, "I would like to present to you my future wife, Ilayda."

The former queen looked her up and down, her lips pursed in a tight line, "Pleasure."

Ilayda could feel her eyebrow raise at that, a gesture she had seen Ethan do when he was expressing curiosity or a sarcastic disbelief. The woman did not sound pleased at all, though Ilayda couldn't help but glance down at her attire at the critical look the woman was giving her.

It was a dark blue gown, simple but elegant, nothing too elaborate as she wasn't used to the corsets and other odd lacings and contraptions that seemed to come with a majority of gowns in court. Ethan seemed to have gone a bit mad with the seamstresses of town and even of the castle, requesting dresses in blues and greens and some browns, it appeared he was trying to give her a bit of the sea back, making gowns that were of the different hues of the ocean. She appreciated it, it did give her more confidence, a Siren of the Sea she may not be any longer, but the sea was still a part of her. It warmed her inside to know that Ethan didn't want to take away every part of her past. He had acknowledged that asking her to marry him would be asking much of her, of a Siren, because it would mean she'd have to leave the sea behind. But he didn't treat her like she was now a fully human woman. He took care to explain the oddities around her, he dressed her in blues, he had even been speaking to some odd inventor about if it would be possible to create a mattress that was filled with water as he knew she had been having difficulty sleeping in such a stationary bed. He wanted her to sing when she wanted, he let her be as distant as she pleased with others, he never forced her to conform to what would be expected of her as a human, he understood she wasn't one and wouldn't be one.

He loved her anyway.

He loved her because of it.

"Is it?" Ilayda fired right back at the woman, sounding not quite challenging, but almost careless, as though she didn't give a fig what the woman thought of her or if she liked her or considered it a pleasure to meet them either, which she didn't.

Instantly the former queen bristled, but Ethan let out a low chuckle, patting Ilayda's hand on his arm and offering his parents a smile, "Father?"

The former king rose to his feet but made no move to approach further, "So _you_ are the one that wishes to marry my son."

" _He_ wishes to marry _me_ ," Ilayda corrected, ignoring the distaste in his voice, "I merely accepted."

Ethan gave her a warm smile despite the frowns his parents were now wearing. He understood her better than they did. The fact that she had even _accepted_ clearly meant, to her, that yes she _did_ wish to marry Ethan. But she was also making a point to remind them that he DID want to marry her too.

"And you think you would be a good choice of Queen?" the man grunted in disapproval, he had given this kingdom to his second son instead of his first because he had thought Leopold, as beloved as he was, was too soft and kind to manage two kingdoms. He had never thought that would drive Ethan to choose a Siren, something known to be hard and cruel, to be his Queen!

"Father," Ethan frowned now.

"The King seems to," Ilayda responded coolly, "I should think he would know best what is good for his kingdom," she knew from their many talks how much he _did_ care for his kingdom, he would not do something that would risk its well being, even if it meant not being with her.

"He would," the former king nodded, "If he were in his right mind."

Before Ethan could even defend his mental state, his mother was on her feet, "What did you do to our son?" she demanded, taking her position beside her husband, glaring at Ilayda, "We know what you are, a Siren," the sneer in the last word made her look as though she'd smelt something disgusting, "We know what they can do. You've bewitched him, haven't you?!"

"I have done no such thing," Ilayda glared at them.

"She can't," Ethan added, "Mother, father, in choosing to marry me she has left the sea. She has given up her magic to be with me. She can no more bewitch me now than anyone could short of striking up a deal with Rumpelstiltskin," he held up a hand, realizing his mistake the moment he said it, "And no, she has NOT done that either. Sirens are too clever to be taken in by his lies and loopholes."

"She must have done _something_!" his father shouted.

"She saved my life," Ethan stated, straightening up to stand as rigidly as Ilayda was despite how he sighed, "I did not wish to tell you this, to burden you with this knowledge but…" he looked at his love, "If it will help you see what she has already done for this kingdom," he turned back to his parents, "I met Ilayda when I went to the cove, hoping a Siren would be there to drown me."

"What?!" his mother gasped, her hand flying to her chest, over her heart as his father looked stunned.

"I didn't want to be king then," Ethan admitted, "I didn't think I could handle the burden. I thought that Leopold would be better for both kingdoms. I had it planned out, no one would fault a Siren for doing what their nature dictates, no one would fault me for 'falling under their spell' should my life end. I _wanted_ it to happen…Ilayda," he looked at her again, smiling when he saw her looking back, all her attention on him as he spoke. He loved that about her, how she gave him attention when he spoke, listened to him, just as he did her, "She was the Siren I approached, and…she refused."

"You posed no challenge," Ilayda remarked dryly, sounding to the others as though she were expressing a defense she had used numerous times already.

Ethan smiled more at that, "That was her reason not to take my life, _at first_ ," he turned to his parents, seeing they were actually listening now, "But I kept challenging her, trying to trick her to do it…"

"You _kept_ returning?" his father seemed horrified, whether from the fact his son had felt so lowly or that he hadn't noticed no one knew.

"I did," he nodded, "She kept refusing. Slowly, we began to talk. Slowly, the meetings became less of me wanting her to drown me and more…me wanting her to talk to me. We grew to respect and care for each other, to love one another," he lifted Ilayda's hand once more to press a kiss to it, holding it now instead of tucking it back into his arm, "She forsook her clan to stay with me, to marry me."

For one brief moment, Ethan thought his parents had finally grasped how important Iladya was to him, how much he needed and loved her, how she loved him…

But it was all torn apart when his mother's expression hardened, "No," she shook her head fiercely, "I refuse to believe that. You would NEVER…" she cut herself off, unable to even utter the thought of her son wanting to take his own life, instead, she turned her glare on Ilayda, "My son would NEVER marry a…a _creature_ …" she sneered the last word, "Not unless enchanted!"

"Mother!" Ethan cried, appalled.

"You are correct," Ilayda spoke, startling the three of them, though Ethan was a bit more wary than his parents, seeing her starting to smirk, " _Your_ _son_ would not marry a creature. But _my mate_ , he most certainly _would_. And he shall," she took a step away from Ethan, standing before the rigid former queen, "You have no power here," she warned the woman, "He is not YOUR son any longer. He is MINE."

Ethan was quite sure he should have felt a little less of a thrum through him when he heard Ilayda claiming him in such a way, as though he were an object to be possessed, but in the context of Sirens, he knew it was quite a different thing. She was claiming him into her clan, into her heart, somewhere he would forever stay so long as he never betrayed her (which he had no intentions of ever doing). She was letting his mother know that he was not some boy to be ordered about any longer, but the king, a mate of a Siren of the Sea, and that, as his mate, Ilayda would allow no one to manipulate or control him. It was her way of showing her protection, her possessiveness, and her love for him, to stand up to his parents in such a way.

He was sure, too, that he should have felt disheartened or even angry that she was making it so clear that he was HERS and not his parents' any longer. It felt, almost, as though she were trying to say he was no longer a part of their family but only Ilayda's. But he could concede to that, she had given up her entire clan, her home, her magic, for HIM, he could do this for her, he could cut the ties of power his parents had over him and claim her as his only family as well.

He was the king after all, his parents wanted him to be strong and able and unwavering.

"As she is mine," Ethan nodded, standing firm against his parents even as they looked at him, heartbroken and aghast, "You have _no_ say in this," he agreed, "I wished for your approval, but I do not NEED it to marry my Queen."

And with that, Ilayda's smirk grew full blown.

~8~

Apparently, Ethan was quite the cunning mind in his own right, Ilayda could admit, as she stood before the steps of the castle, the former king and queen behind them, wearing rather forced smiles. Her own smile was a little more genuine as she watched Ethan half-run down the steps to greet the last member of the family to arrive, his brother Leopold and his own wife, Eva. It had been Ethan's plan, she now knew, for Leopold to have been there while he informed his parents of their upcoming marriage, knowing his brother would take the news far more easily than his parents would. Leopold had been unfortunately detained, his wife, Eva, had recently discovered she was carrying his first child and travel took them longer with how Leopold fretted over her. Still, he was there, and she could already tell that Ethan felt infinitely lighter and more hopeful that this small family reunion would turn out better.

"Leopold!" Ethan greeted, hugging his brother tightly, nearly lifting the man off his feet.

"Ethan," Leopold grinned, returning the hug, "Look at you," he pulled away, "My baby brother, now king of the land."

Ethan shoved him away for that remark, before looking at the young woman stepping out of the carriage after him, "Look at YOU," he smiled softly at a woman with pale skin and black hair, her stomach only barely hinting at the future rounding of a child within, hardly noticeable unless one knew or truly looked, "Eva, you are glowing."

"Thank you, Ethan," Eva smiled even as her gaze turned more suspicious, "YOU appear to be glowing as well, though I doubt it is for the same reason."

"Ah, yes," Ethan blushed, clearing his throat, "There is someone I would love you both to meet," he quickly turned and held out a hand for Ilayda, who slowly began to walk down the stairs to join him, taking his hand as she reached him, "Leopold, Eva, this is…" he smiled at her, "This is Ilayda. I intend to marry her."

"Marry?" Leopold's eyes widened, "But you're too young! Just a baby!"

Eva elbowed her husband in the side, knowing that he was teasing the poor boy and taking pity, "Congratulations," she stepped forward, hugging Ilayda, effectively startling the woman, "I wish you both every happiness."

"I…" Ilayda blinked at that, truly surprised the woman would say that, "Many thanks."

"You have a unique look to you, my Lady Ilayda," Leopold remarked, taking her in, noting that her hair was quite pale, her eyes very dark in comparison, her skin almost paler than his Eva's which was saying something, "Might I ask from which land you hail?"

"I hail from no land but the sea," Ilayda stated, not wishing to start with a lie, nor feeling any need to lie in the first place, she was proud of what she was.

"Beg pardon?" Leopold blinked.

"Yes," Ethan sighed, now it was his turn to fidget. His parents he could handle the disapproval of, his brother was another story. If he had to choose, he would pick Leopold's opinion over his mother and father every time he shared that close a bond with him. He dearly wanted his brother, and Eva, to accept Ilayda, "Ilayda…she's a Siren, Leopold. A Siren of the Sea."

Ilayda wasn't sure what to make of the wide-eyed looks she was now getting from the two people who had greeted her most warmly only moments ago.

~8~

Ilayda sat in the courtyard of the castle, looking up at an open window on the floor above her. She could still hear better than most humans and, while she was sure Ethan and Leopold were making every effort to be quiet and not be overheard, she could still make out their discussion from there.

While Eva and Leopold had been shocked at the revelation Ethan was going to marry a Siren, they hadn't had a chance to even comment on it before Ethan's parents were coming down to greet their other son and his human wife. She didn't miss the way that the two nearly fawned over Eva, how certain remarks and praises they made to her were clearly meant to be a dig at her and her creature-status. It bothered her not, she knew what she was, why would what anyone else had to say about it bother her? That was a fact that the former king and queen seemed to come to a realization about rather quickly when their remarks were met with apathy from her, and equal parts anger and unamusement from their son. They quickly gave up trying to irritate her via that method and instead turned to trying to just ignore her as best they could.

Leopold and Eva had been cordial, when they had been allowed to get a word in, polite to her, but she could sense a new distance, a wariness as they seemed to observe her more than speak to her. It was just as well for her, she cared not if they liked her…though she did know that Ethan, while feeling able to stand up to his parents for her, would be heartbroken to have to do the same to his brother. She knew the two men shared a strong bond, if he were forced to pick her over his brother as he had his parents, it would be very hard on him, it would cause a rift he would never recover from and she didn't want to do that. She hoped it wouldn't come to such a matter…the conversation going on above her, while not as supportive and thrilled as Ethan had hoped it would be, was less horrible than the one he had apparently had with his parents.

Leopold was above, in the rooms he'd been given for the stay, speaking to Ethan in what they thought was privacy. He wasn't shouting, which was, she assumed, a good sign, but he did not seem completely happy for his brother either. She could hear him asking questions about her, about how he could trust her, about how he knew that, as a dark-creature, she wasn't plotting some nefarious plot. To his credit, Leopold didn't sound as disgusted as his parents had been, he sounded genuinely concerned for his brother more so than the kingdom as the men's parents had been. Also to his credit, he _listened_ to Ethan and his answers, he took time to process and asked different questions instead. He seemed to be trying to absorb everything and accept it for his brother's sake. She…appreciated the effort.

She could tell Leopold was hesitant, she did not fault him for it either, she knew what Sirens of the Sea were thought to be like, she was proud of it, she understood they were dark creatures by human terms, they were thought and proven to be dangerous and deadly, Ethan wouldn't have sought one out if they weren't. She knew her kind were not seen as anything good, but more monsters that needed to be destroyed, Sirens saw the humans to be the same. The fact that Leopold seemed to care about his brother's happiness and safety did mean quite a lot to her though. She was not one to hope, but she could feel a small stirring of it rising in her, that at least Leopold would support his brother or at least not be wholly opposed to their marriage.

"Oh!"

Ilayda blinked and looked over, startled by the sound of someone else, to see Eva had walked into the garden, "Queen Eva."

Eva gave her a small smile, shaking her head, "Eva, please," she offered, moving to sit on the fountain right beside her, closer than other humans would likely have sat, "We are, after all, to be sisters. There is no need for formalities between family."

Ilayda tilted her head as she observed the woman, sitting there and looking at the sky, absently fiddling with a red rose in her hand that she had plucked when she entered, but…not seeming at all worried that there was a creature next to her, not seeming concerned that there might be an attack waiting to happen. She didn't even seem to be acting like a Siren was there, but just…a person.

"WE are family?"

Eva blinked and turned her head to look at Ilayda, "I would like you to think of us, er, Leopold and I, as that, yes," she nodded, understanding that her in-laws were not likely to be counted as that any time soon.

"Why?" Ilayda shook her head, "You know what I am."

Eva nodded lightly, "I do," she agreed, glancing up at the open window, "And I know my husband is in there right now speaking to Ethan, wanting to ensure he has thought this match through, which, I know he has," she looked back at Ilayda, "Ethan is not one to go through with anything without a plan of some sort, without true and deep thought. He chose you for a reason, and that is good enough for me."

"Is it?" she seemed started at that, that someone could just…accept her that easily, especially someone that wasn't Ethan's blood-family.

"For me," Eva repeated, "I watched you, you know," she returned her attention back to the sky, "When everyone else was looking away, I looked at you and Ethan," she smiled, "He smiles around you. He was always so serious whenever I saw him, but he's smiling now. And that's because of you," she nodded to herself, "And you care for him a great deal, I can tell. I see how you two are together, when no one else is watching you, when you think it can be just the two of you for a moment. You love each other," she glanced down at her hands, at the rose, in thought, before focusing on Ilayda again, "I don't believe you would hurt him, anymore than I think Ethan could be capable of hurting you. You make him happy, and for that, why wouldn't I accept you as his wife?"

"I am a Siren," Ilayda stated, not entirely sure if she was actually arguing why Eva shouldn't accept her or curious to see what the woman would say. She thought it might be the latter reason, she had seen much opposition from everyone it seemed, she was curious what someone who seemed to accept her would think, how they would reason that.

"Yes, you are. But you're here, with Ethan. I may not know much of Sirens, but I do know that their power is tied to the sea," she gestured around, "There is no sea here. You chose Ethan, over being a Siren. And that has to mean something," she eyed Ilayda as she looked down, "A great deal of something, I'd say."

"I have…given up my home," Ilayda admitted, feeling surprisingly like she could actually talk to Eva, "My family, my magic…for Ethan."

"Because you love him."

"Because I love him," she nodded.

Eva reached over to put her hand on Ilayda's as it rested in the woman's lap, squeezing it, "Love is the greatest magic of them all, you'll see, I bet it will win over the kingdom in time."

"I am not…one to hope," Ilayda shook her head, that seemed quite far fetched to her, that anyone in the kingdom would accept her as Queen just because she loved Ethan. She knew something of land-walkers and their marriages, especially among nobility, they were not always done for love.

"Well, I have enough for the both of us," Eva shrugged lightly, though she seemed to grow just a little thoughtful, "I have to believe in hope, I have to believe that people can change for the better."

Ilayda gave her an odd look for that, before tilting her head, eyeing Eva more critically than before. The woman was pale, _unnaturally_ pale, and thin…far thinner than she should be for being with-child, she doubted that part of anatomy was so different between human and Siren, "Are you well?"

"Hmm?" Eva blinked, shaken from her thoughts, "I'm fine," she tried to smile reassuringly, "Don't worry for me."

"You are _cursed_ ," Ilayda stated bluntly, making Eva's eyes widen in shock, "I may not possess magic, but I can still recognize it. You have been cursed."

"Yes," Eva whispered, glancing at the open window, "You _can't_ tell anyone," she squeezed Ilayda's hand more tightly, "Please, not even Leopold knows and, with the baby, he'll fret and I don't know what he'd do if…"

"It is not my secret to tell," Ilayda said simply, "I have no say in what you do or do not tell your husband."

Eva gave her an almost chastising look for that, as though she were trying to say that, while she appreciated the sentiment, the way that had been phrased had been in poor taste. She took a breath, "An old…rival," she supplied, "For Leopold's hand. She has been studying magic, she cursed me when she found out I was expecting Leopold's heir," Ilayda was silent, waiting for her to continue or not, but it seemed Eva had been waiting quite a long while to get this off her chest, to have someone to confide in, "I was not always…the most accepting person, the kindest, the most pure of heart," she gave a bitter laugh at that, "I was spoiled and cruel and selfish once upon a time," she looked down at the rose in her hand, her mind flitting to the white variety of the flower, how pure it was, "That's what the curse feeds on, all that darkness in me."

"The child…"

"Will be fine," Eva assured her, looking up, "I have a magical ally," she added, "She has assured me that my child will be well, that…that I might survive longer than I thought. The curse cannot be broken," she explained, "It can be prolonged though, with good intentions and kindness, with love and compassion, everything I hadn't been. I changed, for my child," she patted her stomach, "So I might be there for them, to see them grow up as long as I can before the curse takes me."

Ilayda looked at Eva's stomach, hesitating just a moment before reaching out her free hand to lightly place it on the woman's abdomen, inhaling softly when she felt the firmness there, the child not large enough to be felt moving but the tightness alone signalling a child within, "I will watch over your child," she promised the woman, "I will accept them as family," she glanced up at Eva, "As you have accepted me."

Eva could feel tears gathering in her eyes at that. She knew enough of Sirens to know how protective and caring they were for their families, to hear Ilayda promise that her child would be looked after once she was gone, that it would have a mother-figure and someone to care for it, even if it was a Siren, especially that it was a Siren…it was a relief she hadn't known she needed till now. Her child would always be safe and protected so long as Ilayda was alive and from what she knew, not much could take out a Siren.

Eva felt herself smile at that, "Thank you," she whispered, holding up the red rose almost as a gift, almost as a symbol of her welcome to the family.

Ilayda shook her head, "It is I that should thank you," she pulled away slightly, giving Eva the smallest of smiles, _genuine_ smiles, when she accepted the proffered rose, "Sister."

Eva could only beam in return, she may not be able to control her in-laws or even her husband's thoughts on Ilayda (though she didn't doubt Leopold would come around once he saw how happy his brother truly was), but she knew herself and she knew what SHE thought.

From this point on, Ilayda was family.

A/N: I always wondered what could have happened to Eva that made her change so much from the sort of spoiled brat she was to the kind and generous Queen we saw when she died. I got the impression from the episode where Eva died that she had been poisoned more so than just had an illness, but in order to poison someone for that long, I can't see even Cora managing it, so I thought maybe it was a curse, especially with how fixated Cora was on turning Snow White's heart dark, it made me think darkness had something to do with Eva's death. Sort of like how darkness seems to poison someone, Cora managed to make it manifest in Eva as an illness, the more negative thoughts or feelings or actions she has, the worse she gets, the happier and kinder and more compassionate she is counteracts the speed of the curse. It can't be stopped, because Eva spent quite a few years being less-than-kind and the curse fed on that, but it could be slowed down to the point where Eva managed to make it a good number of years before her body just gave out. Just my little headcanon ;)

I also really wanted to show sort of a difference in generations here too. Ethan's parents know Sirens only for being evil and think their son MUST have been taken advantage of, he's their baby after all and to a parent their child is always too young. Leopold knows his brother well enough to try and be civil and then give Ilayda a chance, to be more open. It might take him longer than Eva, who has her own reasons for accepting Iladya, but he will eventually care about her as family. And their daughter will be raised to love her aunt and cousin, Siren or not...or so I think they'd hope ;)

And a little bitty hint of Piper in there too, seems red roses became a little symbolic to Ilayda ;)

Also, tiny apology. I've been trying to get the links on my profile to work for a few different sites that should have links on them. But FF is being weird and all my attempts never show up :( I'll keep trying though :)

Some notes on reviews...

We'll have to wait and see when the others find out about little Golden Rosebud ;)

I hope you do well on your exam and second presentation! :)

I can't say what the baby will be just yet }:) They seem to have a run of sons going on, but a daughter would be adorable too and, I think, something they would both want to try their hand at raising too :)

At this point, I sort of feel I'd take a copout ending of no one can leave the Underworld and so they all just end up in 'heaven' which is living in heaven's version of Storybrooke even if it means we don't see baby Neal or Robin's daughter again, just so the show can finally END. I mean, Snowing cheated death, which I doubt he'd be happy about, Emma's trying to cheat death and bring back someone that legitimately died and if we assume her and Hook being Dark Ones linked them then technically an argument could be made that Emma belongs in the Underworld with Hook being tied to him, Gold technically sort of died when he dealt with Pan, and Regina and Robin have the Fury to sort out (as the writers never explained if it just was defeated for a moment or if the five people gave up portions of their lives to equal out Robin's remaining life). None of them should really be coming back from the Underworld at this rate :/ It made sense to me and sounds like a very cool concept ;) And thanks! I'll definitely check it out :)

I sort of feel like the entire town's been brainwashed to that too. Like before the Snow Queen was revealed, the town was ready to angry-mob hunt Elsa over Marian, not even listening to Archie try and say they should talk to her or considering she might be scared and her magic reacted :/ I think it's definitely the fairytale-ness of it, it's always so black and white with them, most people from the land without magic seem to be of the understanding not everything is black and white, or at least they eventually remember that. That bothers me too, how the characters just seem to forget everything that happened for the now, I try to have Piper bring up the past when that happens, but I can say that Emma will, very soon, do the same. There'll definitely be some carry over into Series 5 for Piper and Snow, and Emma will definitely need more than what the show provided to work past what her parents did }:) Oh I fully plan to have Emma being the Dark One affect her more and have more a lasting impact on her, especially when it comes to her understanding of the villains and the darkness ;) And yes, I have a VERY big twist for why Emma becomes the Dark One. Hook may or may not be involved on the surface, but there is a much, much deeper reason in this story }:) (I have to do the evil smirk but I wish there was an even more evil emoticon to express my grin right now lol). We'll have to wait and see what siren-traits Emma has that may or may not be influenced by the Dark One though ;)

Piper was definitely my reason to watch Season 5, in a way though she was also sort of what made it worse. Like an OC should _not_ be the only thing that keeps me watching a show. The more I was frustrated with the show, the more Piper popped into my head, and the more I started to dislike the season because her reactions to events just made everything seem that much more stupid to me because they were stupid and ridiculous to her :( Sort of a catch-22 for me there :( I won't be getting my hopes up for the second half of the season :( The Hook twist threw me off too, after spending 300 years learning every detail about the Dark One, Hook really didn't realize that he hadn't slept in days and wasn't even tired? :/ I'm torn about how he was as the Dark One. On one hand, it was excellent to see a really 'evil' Dark One and see him just give in to being evil, but on the other hand it sort of felt like he was doing it in retaliation to Emma hiding it from him and not because he was just being evil. He shouldn't have needed to remember becoming the Dark One for him to be dark, sort of thing. It still felt like what he was doing was based around Emma. Before it was what he could do good to make her like him, this time it was what he could do bad to hurt her, still always around Emma :/ Yeah, Maleficent and Lily disappeared quickly (will NOT be happening in at least one of my OUAT stories, I can tell you that). But then again, huge deal about Neal and he barely appears. Huge deal about Zelena's baby and Robin and Regina just waltz into the Underworld without a thought to her or even Roland. I feel like the writers are making the same mistake I've actually seen a fanfiction writer or two make (thinking mostly on past plagiarizers of my stories though since I don't look at many other stories but that), of bringing in way too many OCs and just losing track of them and the plot in general :( And no worries, vent away! :)

Oh Snow's guilt, I am waiting for just the right moment for her to feel that doozy }:) Charming never really liked Piper so his going along with Snow is expected I think, but I can say that he will feel quite guilty at one point too ;)

I have some twists to deal with the Robin mess, I agree I want Regina and Emma to finally be happy. Zelena really was NOT necessary to bring back and, in my opinion, if it had really been Marian that would have opened up SO MUCH possibility for character development. But I guess the writers lost their touch on how to really do that after season 1 and are loving their plots more than the characters :( I can say that, in one story I have planned, we'll see a unique dynamic between Emma and August, mostly in the future AU for this story where Piper does raise Emma. They'd grow up together as siblings and just thinking about Emma having a brother and a family from the start makes for a very different Emma and a different trust system and bond for her and him ;)

Oh Snow and Charming have not yet even _begun_ to feel the consequences of their actions in this story }:) There's still much more to come for them ;) I've started to take what the writers say with a grain of salt, so to speak. I remember reading they also said, when Zelena came back, that hers and Regina's relationship as sisters would be a main focus and that she'd be redeemed through Regina and building that relationship back up...and that went out the window pretty quickly. I wouldn't put it past them to say Belle didn't know and will confront Regina, and then have Regina say 'You told me I could but I made you forget' just as a way to end an issue before it begins or even have them say it will happen but it never does, which seems the more likely at the moment to me :(

I think Snow is basing all her feelings about Neal possibly going dark on Emma. Like she realized what she did was wrong, even if she won't admit it, and since she can't do what she did to Emma to Neal, she's just going to have to actually RAISE him and hope for the best. Or she hasn't had any visions or warnings or prophecies about her baby boy being dark. Or she's thinking that, because he was 'innocence' in Zelena's time travel spell that he is light and innocent and without the potential darkness, because how can he be dark and also innocent? Or she's hoping that it's just a female thing, her aunt, her cousin, her daughter being all females that Neal, being a boy, would be safe. She's got a whole list of reasons, some based in a denial that 'it CAN'T happen a second time!', for why Neal won't have the potential to go dark like Emma did. We'll definitely see someone bring up Neal to Snow and her thoughts on it though ;)

I think that Maleficent and Piper would definitely bond if given the chance. Maleficent might take time to reach that point though, because she wants to focus on her daughter once she gets her back and a part of her still associates Piper with Snow White on some level. But once she is fully driven away from Snow and Maleficent sees that she'd probably be a little more open to a new friendship, especially with Regina now being pro-Snow. There won't be much time for it to happen in this story, but I can say that I do have plans for Maleficent to be around in the first half of Season 5 more than she is in the show and it will have something to do with Piper yup ;) For a moment I thought Lily's father was 'The Dragon' that August met, but Lily's coloring and features don't quite fit and, from what I've seen, the casting has usually been very good about the likenesses of their characters. I don't know who he could be, but I'm interested to find out :) I'm not quite sure it's canon that a year passed between Gold being banished and returning. Everything I've read online for recaps and summaries says the mid-season break was 6 weeks, and that the absolute most time that passed between Gold's banishment and his heart giving out was about 9 weeks. In canon, the actual episodes, the first episode after the break Hook specifies 'it's been 6 weeks!' and then in Heart of Gold the captions specify that it's been 9 weeks since Robin left to the point where Regina calls him and decides to rescue him immediately after. So really, it was only about 2-3 months going (about 9 weeks by this point), no deviation here ;) The show does seem to like making it hard to keep track of time lol :)

Oh Snow will definitely have to prove herself to Piper as she now knows Snow would be willing to rip the darkness out of a baby }:) Talk about Snow finally facing consequences lol :) I like to think Emma is getting a bit of Siren coming out in pausing to think about things more, like she's just slightly more distant in the story than in the show and, through knowing Piper, now knows there's usually more going on than what meets the eye. Her trust is hard to earn but once you have it, Emma would trust you and give you the chance to hear you out, I like to think :) She's more reasonable when it comes to Piper too, because Piper has always been the most honest with her and she has seen just how far Piper would go to keep her family safe, so for her to just 180 or do something that seems to be against all that, makes Emma go 'hold on, this is nothing like what I KNOW for a FACT about her, something else HAS to be going on.' I can say we'll definitely see more of Grey-Emma in the AU for this story once I get to it, she'll have been raised by Piper and understand better than anyone the balance and how not everything is good or evil, she'll want her magic to be more oriented and be less afraid of the dark magics and even dark acts ;) Snow will definitely learn about the ritual, but I can't say when or how it comes about just yet ;) I hope we see more of Neal too, I'd love for him to come back and it might be possible since he seemed to have basically traded his life for Gold's in the show, maybe if Gold agreed to stay in the Underworld the debt would be reversed? Not sure, but even if he can't be rescued, I hope that he at least becomes their guide in the Underworld for quite a few episodes :) I tried to get my dad to watch Tut, but he fell asleep about 20 minutes into it, which made sense, he also fell asleep during the 5th Harry Potter movie when I got him to go see it with me. I'm glad your grandmother enjoyed it at least :)


	36. Lily

Lily

Emma was sitting at the bar of Granny's, nursing a hot chocolate as she tried to keep her temper at her parents even as they sat, silently, in a booth behind her with Hook and Regina. Henry was off with Piper, wanting to check in on Gold and his condition after how the woman had rescued him and really, she wanted him to be as far away from Snow White and Prince Charming as possible right now. If SHE could have just gone off with them too she would have, but she knew how it would look to Mary Margaret if she let with Piper so she'd had to stay and deal with her not-so-charming parents. What Mary Margaret had said about Piper had set not just Piper herself, but Emma and Henry, on edge. Henry was currently not speaking to either grandparent, but speaking to Gold. And she was here, trying to think about what she actually felt on the entire situation and her parents' thoughts on her. She felt fine, when she thought of Cruella at least, she knew what she would have done, what she'd be willing to do, it was a mother's instinct when their child was in legitimate danger. If she had killed Cruella, she wouldn't have lost sleep over it. Felt guilty later, probably, but she wouldn't have felt dark.

Her parents though, how they instantly thought that SHE had been the one to do Cruella in? That was not something she could get over. After all this time, after how much they knew her, they thought she'd done it? Even with Piper standing _right there_? Well, it made some sort of sick sense, in a way, they _were_ convinced that Piper and Gold were trying to turn her dark, why would Piper have stopped her if they were doing that? Still, it sickened her how hypocritical her parents were, they did something monumentally dark and instantly wanted forgiveness for it and for people to see it as a good and right act, but refused to offer it to others? They broke her trust and wanted it back, but refused to trust Piper who had done nothing but protect her family?

She didn't know what was wrong with her parents now.

Was it actually being parents this time, actually having an infant to raise and care for? Would they have been like this if she were still a baby? Would they have treated Piper like this if she'd been around in the Enchanted Forest at her birth?

"THIS is the infamous war council that defeated so many villains?"

Everyone in the building looked up to see Maleficent striding in, dressed like some sort of mob mistress from the 50s.

"What do you want?" Emma asked, not feeling the desire to beat around the bush any longer.

Maleficent eyed her a moment, before smirking, "It now appears we have a common foe, Rumpelstiltskin."

Emma only barely refrained from rolling her eyes at that, of course Maleficent would assume that Gold was her enemy now too. Piper hadn't been lying when she'd said that villains tend to assume things, Maleficent clearly thought that Gold was telling the truth in planning to turn her dark.

"He resurrected you," David shook his head, slowly standing to block Maleficent's view of Mary Margaret.

"To help himself, not me," Maleficent seemed just barely willing to acknowledge him, "Cruella's death only confirmed that."

"Now you want to turn on him before he turns on you?" Hook guessed, having been silently watching Emma from his place near her parents, wanting to give her space before he approached her.

"I knew Gold couldn't keep the dragon on her leash for long," Regina smirked.

"What do you want?" Mary Margaret sighed.

"Nothing from you," Maleficent spoke, blunt as ever, "But your daughter, I hear, has a talent for finding people."

"Yeah, I do," Emma nodded, hesitating before playing along, as though Piper hadn't already told her why they'd really brought Maleficent back, "Who do you want found?"

"My daughter."

"She's _alive_?" Mary Margaret gasped, Emma genuinely wasn't sure if she sounded relieved or horrified by that fact.

"Yes," Maleficent grinned darkly, "She survived the journey to this land, the journey _you_ sent her on. You want to prevent Rumpelstiltskin from achieving whatever he wants?" she turned her attention back to Emma, "What better way than leaving this town and helping me?"

Emma shifted at that, the _last_ thing she wanted to do was leave the town, not when Piper was pregnant and Gold's heart was failing and Henry and August were the _only_ ones there that would be willing to help them. But she knew that Maleficent's daughter possessed the dark potential of the Savior, she would be needed to help Gold get better…and she doubted that anyone else in the town would know how to navigate the world beyond Storybrooke besides Henry, and she wasn't sending him out there. Piper and August would, but August was still pretty weak, and with everything Piper had been through and the stress she was under and would be under, she wouldn't want Piper to have to go alone. Not only that, but she wasn't sure if the town, when they inevitably found out what was going on, because Mary Margaret was terrible at secret keeping when it didn't benefit her and Grumpy was the town gossip, would be so keen to welcome back not just the Pied Piper but Maleficent's daughter too.

She would HAVE to go.

"Do you have any information about her?" Emma asked, she knew that Gold's globe could tell them WHERE the girl was, but if she didn't know what she looked like or her name things could get tricky.

"Just what the Dark One showed me," Maleficent sighed, though she was pleased to hear Emma considering it, "That she was banished to this world 30 years ago, to a place called Minnesota, where she was adopted by a couple. And they named her Lilith."

Emma's heart stopped at that name, "No…"

"Emma?" Hook frowned, standing, seeing a shift in her posture, "What is it?"

But Emma just shook her head and ran out of the diner, it couldn't be…could it?

Maleficent's daughter couldn't be Lily, one of her few friends (if she could still call the girl that after abandoning her) she had made as a child?

No, no it _couldn't_ be.

~8~

As it turned out, it very much _could_.

Maleficent's Lilith was in fact her old friend Lily. She had rushed from the diner to the library, going through records and newspaper clippings for the country to see an adoption announcement of a baby in Minnesota named Lilith…a little baby that had a distinct star shaped birthmark on her wrist, exactly like Lily had.

She had immediately called Piper and gotten ahold of the globe, bringing it to Maleficent to prick her finger, seeing a red spot appearing in Lowell, Massachusetts, which was just another slap to the face. That was less than 30 miles away from Boston, where she had lived for many years. All that time Lily had been nearby and she hadn't even realized it. It had to be fate, it just _had_ to be, that the girl that had come into her life and been her friend, that she had encountered a second time, and that had lived so close, was the daughter of Maleficent and possessed her potential for darkness.

It made her stomach churn uneasily to think about that. Lily had tried to tell her once, the second time they met, that she felt like her life was cursed, like everything she did was just the wrong choice, no matter how hard she tried things in life just kept going dark…and the only time things seemed to balance out was when Emma was around. She'd pushed the girl away, blaming her for the foster family she had been with not wanting her any longer, but Lily had been telling the truth. She _had_ been cursed, by Snow White and Prince Charming, to a life of darkness and misery and pain…and she'd walked away from her.

She wasn't going to make that mistake this time.

And even if she wanted to…she couldn't, because Regina had confronted her about the possibility of pairing up on their trips out of Storybrooke. She had made a point, a reasonable one, that Regina had not been very far out of Storybrooke, having only ventured out once, to adopt Henry, and nothing after that, which meant her trying to find Robin Hood in New York with Zelena aware that she might be coming (because, really, would Zelena expect Regina NOT to come after that phone call? It was a matter of WHEN), would make it nearly impossible. If Regina went with her, also, she would make sure that, no matter what Lily might say or how she might fight her about the truth in being Maleficent's daughter, Lily WOULD be coming back to Storybrooke. Two heads were better than one after all.

But there was still something bothering her about all of this with Regina coming with her. She trusted the woman, to an extent, and while she didn't blame her for keeping her parents' secret when she'd been told, she wasn't sure how she felt about the fact that Regina knew and didn't tell her. It was almost as bad. She understood that Snow White had told a secret that had dire consequences for Regina and that Regina, as a result, likely would never tell someone's secret. But still, Regina seemed to be on her parents' side for the most part, and she needed someone that was on HER side to feel fully comfortable and confident in this mission. For all she knew, Regina was going along with and had suggested the trips in the first place to babysit her for her parents, to watch out for 'the darkness' getting her. Regardless of how she felt, the trips HAD to happen.

Which was why Emma was now standing before her yellow bug, throwing in a duffle bag of clothing into the trunk, attempting to ignore her parents as best she could while they stood back with Hook and Henry.

"Be good, kid," Emma called to Henry before he walked over to hug her, "I'll see you when I get back."

"Be careful, Swan," Hook spoke up, joining the boy before Emma, "As someone who started on the side of good and went dark, take my advice…vengeance is tempting. The darkness always is. Resist it."

"Why couldn't you?" Emma asked, a tone in her voice suggesting that she was finally aware that he STILL wasn't resisting it well, not for the right reasons either. She understood now, what Piper was getting at, how Hook only changed around her or for her. There were still things that tempted him, when she wasn't there.

"I didn't have anything to live for," Hook answered, mistaking her question for being based in the past, "You have your parents, Henry…"

"You?" Emma gave a small, almost ironic smile.

"Aye, me," he nodded, "And I, you. That's what's kept me on my path now. Use whatever it takes to stay on yours."

Emma shook her head lightly at that, it hadn't really 'kept him on his path' had it? Still, it kept him on it more than other reasons would, she supposed. And maybe, when he got far enough down it, he would find other things besides her that kept him going. Like Regina had started to change for Henry then kept changing even after she lost him, she found other reasons for why she genuinely wanted to be good along the way.

"Emma…" Mary Margaret called.

But Emma stepped back, "Take care of Henry."

David sighed, putting his arm around his wife, seeing Emma closing off again, "Of course."

"I'll be fine, mom," Henry offered his mother a smile, "Aunt P's still here and…"

"Actually, I won't be," a voice spoke to the side, drawing all their attention as Piper walked up to them, no Gold in sight, a small bag in hand.

"What?" Emma blinked.

"Rummy and I discussed, at length, the next course of action," Piper explained, looking more at Emma than the others, "We agreed one of us should go with you," she spared a single look at Mary Margaret and David, "I doubted anyone wanted it to be Rummy more than I."

Discussed was probably a light word for their talk. They had argued. Gold had, surprisingly, been the one pushing for her to go. She had wanted to stay with him, his heart was getting worse and she didn't want to risk leaving him alone. She trusted Emma to handle herself in New York, a place she had been to numerous times, and she trusted, to a degree, Regina being the lapdog of Snow White and keeping Emma from any darkness. But Gold had made good points, she trusted Regina to a degree, no one would be more keen to see Emma untainted by the darkness that would truly poison her too-pure heart than SHE would herself. And August, the little traitor, had offered to be there with Gold, take care of him while she was gone. It wasn't like she'd be taking a vacation for weeks on end and doing nothing while he suffered, she would be back quickly too. And, Gold admitted, he trusted HER to bring Lily back, because she knew what was at stake better than anyone, and he knew she would be the push that everyone would need to keep on track and not get distracted. They couldn't afford distractions.

It was with a heavy heart that she had reluctantly agreed.

Emma shook her head, "You can't…" she glanced at her parents before stepping closer to Piper, speaking quietly so they couldn't hear, "Gold…"

"Rummy shall be well if we are quick," Piper cut in, equally as quiet, "August has agreed to stay with him…"

"I will too," Henry agreed, having moved closer to Piper with Emma, anything that would get the woman going with his mother. He really wanted someone else to go with both his mothers really, to make sure that both women didn't fight and end up with one dead on the way back, make sure that his mother didn't go dark.

It wasn't that he didn't trust his mother, Regina, it was just…like Hook said, darkness was tempting and with Regina trying to be a hero now, she might be less inclined to stop Emma in her normal ways, she might even be tempted to let it happen because darkness spoke to darkness. But Piper, if she went, he knew that Emma would be safe, Piper would _never_ let anything happen to Emma.

"I don't like this," Emma told her, her voice normal volume.

"I did not think you would," Piper gave her a small smirk.

"But I'm…glad," Emma could admit, "I want someone to come that I trust."

If she noticed her parents flinching at the implication, well, they deserved it.

"Thank you, Ms. Swan," Regina deadpanned.

" _Apple turnover_ ," Emma reminded her, that wasn't something you fully forgot, "I trust you, but not entirely."

"And you trust HER?" Regina gestured at Piper as she set her small bag in the back of the bug.

"Yes," Emma stated firmly.

Regina just rolled her eyes and shook her head, turning to get into the bug without another word, not wanting to waste more time.

"If anything happens to Rummy, Henry," Piper looked at the boy, whispering in his ear as he hugged her, "You know my number, yes?"

He nodded, "He'll be fine, Aunt P," he promised quietly with a smile, giving her a wave as she got into the bug as well, watching the car take off into the distance. He sighed, looking at his grandparents and Hook, "I'm going to go see Grandpa."

"Henry…" Mary Margaret began, a frown on her face at how his first words to them were about his other grandfather, at how he seemed to want to be around the Dark One more than them.

"Don't," Henry rounded on them, his own frown growing, "Yes, I'm on Aunt P's side this time. I think you deserve it for what you did and what you said, it's not fair that villains get punished all the time for doing bad things but heroes don't. So don't bother trying to guilt me or get anything out of me. Heroes should be able to think for themselves and make their own opinions about right and wrong."

And, with that, Henry turned and walked off, leaving a pair of startled Charmings and a frowning Hook, it would be just like the bloody crocodile to manipulate his grandson onto his side…

~8~

"Are you SURE this is the place?" Regina asked a few hours later when they had reached Massachusetts, looking around at the rather grimy and rundown apartment building they'd entered.

Piper put her hands in the pocket of her jacket, keeping a firm hold on the Snow Queen's scroll that Emma had given her to hold onto for their return to Storybrooke, the globe had been able to detect Lily in this town, but after that point it had gotten skewed and blurry. It was almost like there was more magic to obscure the results than there should have been, which _did_ make sense. In the Land Without Magic, it was as the name said, magic shouldn't exist, but those that possessed it could tap into it in a subtle way. Lily had not only dragon magic within her but the savior's dark magic, along with, perhaps, magic from her father if he possessed it. With double the magic she should have, it was no wonder that the globe had been skewed.

Luckily Emma had gotten in touch with an old contact of hers that gave them the address for this apartment complex, though it was from five years ago. Still, it was a place to start.

"Why did I go through the trouble of creating Storybrooke when I could have cursed everyone to live here?" Regina grumbled to herself when no one answered.

Piper could only shrug, she had asked herself that as well. She would have thought that it would have been more Regina's style to create a medieval themed world where she was the unopposed queen, much like the Enchanted Forest but with her in full control of everyone and their magic. It wasn't quite as bad a curse as it could have been when it ended up improving the lives of everyone involved in it through education and sanitation and other modern conveniences. And really, not EVERYONE in the Enchanted Forest had family or true loves so the separations from friends with new memories didn't really set unhappy endings as the default ending here. It made a handful suffer, but the majority were hardly actually affected negatively.

Emma just strode over to a door, knocking on it, blinking when a rather tubby, older man with a grimy beard and greasy hair answered, "Yeah?" he demanded impatiently.

"Sorry to disturb you," Emma shook herself out of her shock, "We're just looking for Lilith Page. Is she around?"

"No, she ain't around. Not for years."

"You know where she moved?"

"Lady, she ain't moving nowhere. She's dead."

"What?" Piper frowned at that, that _couldn't_ be possible. The globe would have given them this location ONLY if Lily was still alive. Once she was dead it would have remained blank. Lily _had_ to be alive somewhere in this town.

"Car wreck a couple years back," the man shrugged, unconcerned, "Pretty sure she was drunk. Not that anyone missed her. I mean, she was a weird one. Kept to herself. Course, she had one of those personalities that you wanted to stay far away from. A real loser."

That snapped something in Emma as she reached out and grabbed the man by his throat, shoving him into the wall just inside his apartment with a cry of, "She was my friend!" pulling her fist back to punch the man out.

"Emma!" Regina leapt forward to stop her as Piper just blinked at the reaction, "Emma!" she tried to grab Emma's arm, "Emma. It's not worth it."

"If you _are_ going to attack," Piper added, earning a glare from Regina before she could even finish, but not sounding overly concerned, her tone coming out more dry than anything, "Be sure it is in self-defense. Guilt _always_ gets to you hero-types if you hurt someone that was not trying to hurt you first."

Emma took a deep breath at that, remembering herself at Piper's words of being a hero-type, and realizing she WOULD feel terrible if she lashed out in anger now. She pulled back slowly, turning and striding away from the still-scared man as Regina hurried after her, Piper following at a leisurely pace yet still keeping up. She would have enjoyed seeing Emma punch the man, he deserved it, and truly a punch to the face wouldn't have been a catalyst to turning her dark, but she did know Emma and she WOULD have felt guilty for harming the man in anger later. Best save her the feeling before it happened.

"Hey…" Regina began slowly, "You ok?"

"I'm fine," Emma muttered darkly, "I'm absolutely fine."

"Lily IS still alive, Emma," Piper reassured her as they reached the street, moving to get into the bug, "The globe would not have worked if she were dead."

"Good," Emma got into the driver's side, starting the car, "We need to find her. Now."

Regina was quiet only a minute as they sped off, "Want to talk about what happened back there?"

"No."

"You nearly put that guy through a wall!"

"Says the woman that burned an entire kingdom to the ground because a child told a secret," Piper remarked, leaning against the backs of the seats to smirk at Regina, "At least Emma was reacting instantly to a missive of _death_ instead of a decade later in a calculated move. I think you can agree, dark deeds are bred more from decisive actions, not reactions."

"What happened back there wasn't me turning dark," Emma agreed, "It was mourning a friend who may not even be dead," she would have said that the man was lying, but she could tell, as far as he knew, he was telling the truth about Lily, or what he _believed_ was the truth, "Can you understand that? Even if she's not dead, people still _think_ she is for a reason. She was still in that accident…"

"Emma, you know you're not responsible for that," Regina tried to reassure her.

"You sure?" Emma scoffed, starting to drive faster out of anger, "You heard what that guy said. Her life wasn't pretty. It was dark. That darkness was meant for me. Or could have been or…"

"Emma!" Regina gasped, spotting a wolf standing in the middle of the street just before the sign to exit the town.

Emma quickly jerked the car to the side, avoiding it, going off the side of the road before it came to a screeching halt. She stared out the windshield at the wolf before it disappeared into the woods, quickly getting out of the car to try and keep it in sight, "This has happened before, the wolf in the road and an accident the first time I tried to leave Storybrooke!"

"Stop overthinking," Regina rolled her eyes, "It's not fate. It's just…" she huffed, spotting the wheel on her side of the car, "A flat. We need a new tire. Unless fate wants you to go to the coffee mug diner for help," she gestured at the small roadside diner across the street, "I'd chalk it up to 'accidents will happen.' I'll get a tire. You get some coffee."

Emma looked over at Regina a moment, her gaze drifting to Piper as the woman slowly got out of the car, staring at the diner, and her eyes widened, "Oh my god," she half-ran to Piper's side, realizing just how BAD that could have been for the pregnant woman, "Are you ok? I'm so sorry, I didn't see it and…"

"Emma," Piper cut in gently, "All is well, however…" she tilted her head, her face scrunching in concentration, "I DO actually think fate wants you to go to that diner."

Emma frowned, glancing at it and back to Piper, "What?"

"There is a song in there," Piper murmured, just barely hearing something, "Faint from here, but… _familiar_ …"

There was a song, weak though it was, that reminded her of the song she heard from Maleficent. She couldn't say with certainty if the person within was her daughter however, as far as she knew she hadn't heard the father's melody, she wouldn't know what a song for Maleficent's child would sound like once blended between her and the girl's father. But what she did know of Maleficent's tune, there was something inside there that had touches of a similar melody. It _could_ very well be Lily.

"Maleficent's?" Emma asked, getting the same idea.

"Possibly."

Emma glanced at the diner again, before heading for it, Piper with her. She entered, looking around for anyone her age that might look familiar or possibly be Lily.

"Hello, what can I get for you?" a voice spoke and Emma turned to see a woman about her age, tanned skin, dark brown hair, brown eyes…familiar. Very familiar…she might very well be Lily…but her name tag said 'Starla' and, well, people can change a lot from when they're teens to adults. She couldn't be 100 percent sure it was her, even Piper didn't seem entirely sure that the song was even part of Maleficent's…

"Two cups of coffee, one cup of decaf, and a pack of Advil," Emma glanced at Piper and decided to leave it at one pack.

"Tough day?" the woman smiled understandingly, moving to get the pots of coffee and the cups.

"You don't know the half of it," Emma sighed.

"I'll leave the pot here, then," she placed it on the counter of the diner, "I'll be right back with your Advil."

Emma nodded and glanced at an oddly silent Piper, "Anything?"

"It is _her_ song that I heard," she murmured, when Regina walked in.

"Car's being towed in," she sat down at one of the chairs, frowning when she noticed the two blondes watching the waitress, "What's wrong? See another wolf?"

And that was when Emma saw it, when 'Starla' grabbed the Advil, a birthmark on her right wrist, a star...

"It's…it's her," Emma breathed, "It's Lily!"

~8~

"Excellent technique," Piper remarked, ignoring Regina's shouts for Emma to stop as the blonde woman practically broke down Lily's front door, managing to get into the small apartment.

She and Regina had stood back, upon Emma's request, as the woman went to confront Starla/Lily about her identity. It hadn't gone well at all, Lily either didn't believe Emma or had been too angry with her to even listen. They had seen her walk off with a little girl as a school bus dropped her off, Emma claiming that Lily had said the girl was her daughter, that she was married and happy now despite her dark past.

Emma hadn't believed her at all and, as a result, swiped Lily's timecard from the diner to find her real address and do more investigation. She didn't believe the girl Lily walked off with was her actual daughter, she could tell Lily was lying to her and now wanted to prove it on top of wanting to know WHY Lily had lied, to help her if something was wrong.

Emma ignored Piper's remark and just strode in, looking around at the adult quarters, not a child's toy in sight, not even an extra room for a kid to sleep in, no sugary cereals in the kitchen, no drawings hanging on the fridge, "No kid's stuff," she stated, "No sign of a husband either," she looked around for the tell-tale male presence, but came up with nothing, no male smell, no men's boots or coats, nothing. So she rounded on Regina, "Ok?"

Regina rolled her eyes at that, she HAD been the one trying to defend Lily before, "Well, if you want me to admit you were right, you were right."

"Can't blame her for running off," Emma sighed, starting to make her way through the house, Piper ahead of her, peering into closed rooms, "I was about to tell her she was Maleficent's daughter."

"Yeah, that might have been tough to swallow," Regina scoffed.

"It _did_ take you quite a while to believe Snow White was your mother," even Piper agreed with that, "And you were actually IN Storybrooke and witnessing dragons and magic."

"Yeah," Emma huffed, "For Lily, it's not gonna be simple."

Piper paused when she pushed open the door at the end of the hall, "I doubt that, actually."

"What?" Emma frowned.

"It appears…Lily already knew."

"What?" Emma repeated, pushing her way into the room to see what Piper had…a wall, more like a collage, of different news clippings and pictures of Emma, a giant map with string lines and notes. One particular giveaway was the 'Storybrooke' and Maine being circled.

It seemed Lily had been doing her research, keeping tabs on Emma, and had been trying to find Storybrooke on her own for years now.

"And she was looking for you," Regina added, spotting various pictures of Emma growing up.

"No," Emma realized, SHE wasn't the one Lily would be looking for, "My parents. She knew everything. She wants revenge."

Just then the sound of a car starting rose up, sending Emma running for the window and looking out at where Lily had broken into her just-repaired yellow bug and was starting it up, "Really!?" she shouted, banging on the window, "Lily!"

But the woman just threw her a glare before flooring the pedal and taking off.

"The map to Storybrooke is in the car," Regina gasped, realizing that. The only way to find Storybrooke was to leave the town and trace a map back to that point.

"Damn it!" Emma cried, turning to try and run out of the house, "She wanted a way into Storybrooke. Now she's got one."

"Hardly," Piper followed, pulling the Snow Queen's scroll out of her pocket, "She would need this."

"I doubt that'll stop her finding another way in or Maleficent finding a way to let her in," Emma looked around, before she spotted another car and grabbed a rock, smashing it through the driver's window.

"What are you doing?!" Regina demanded, shocked.

But Emma just yanked the door open, unlocking the car and getting in, reaching under the steering wheel to pull wires out, Piper not even questioning it as she got into the back of the car, leaving Regina little option but to take the passenger's seat, "That girl destroyed my life with one family. I'm not letting her do it again," she hissed in success as she hotwired the car to start and took off after Lily, "She's doing it again. Every time I let Lily in, she rips apart my life. Now she's going after my parents. I have to stop her."

"You will," Regina held on for dear life, frantically trying to buckle up as Emma sped faster, "But you can't go in with a head of steam. You'll end up doing something you regret."

"Really?" Emma scoffed, "Tell me, your majesty, what are your plans for Zelena? A nice chat over tea?"

"That's different," Regina defended weakly.

"How?" Piper lifted an eyebrow at that, "If Zelena so much as touches your precious thief or his son, you would burn her to death, would you not?"

"Yes," Regina muttered, sounding as though it almost pained her to have to admit she would do that.

"So I'll do the same thing to Lily," Emma muttered.

"Careful, Emma," Regina looked at her, "You're starting to sound like…"

"A villain?" Piper challenged her in defense of Emma.

"A Siren," Regina shot Piper a hard look, this had nothing to do with right and wrong, but protecting family, reacting THAT instantly and extremely, that was exactly how a siren sounded, exactly how Piper had sounded the times she'd heard the woman threaten others against harming Mary Margaret or the others.

"Well I did get some Siren perks," Emma muttered, thinking about the protection around her heart, "Maybe this is just another one."

"We ALL sound like that when protecting family, being a Siren has _nothing_ to do with it," Piper pointed out.

"This is the real world," Emma shook her head, trying to look at it realistically too, not just in terms of magic and villains and Sirens, but average people like Piper just mentioned, "There are no heroes and villains, just real people with real problems. So if you're gonna try to stop me, you can find your own way back to New York."

"There," Piper pointed forward, breaking up the moment, "The bug!"

Emma nodded, spotting it just ahead and floored it…to pass Lily up on the empty road and swerve the car right in front of her, blocking the entire road and forcing Lily to stop or crash into them.

"Hey!" Emma was already out of the car, her sheriff's gun in her hand as she pointed it at Lily who was slowly getting out of the bug, glaring at Emma, "Hey! You know. You know everything. Did you know when we were kids?"

"Of course not," Lily scoffed, not even looking at Piper and Regina getting out of the car, Regina moving slowly behind Emma, creeping closer, while Piper just rested against the side of the car, watching.

"But now?"

"Yeah," Lily nodded, "I learned it all."

"How?"

"Does it really matter?" Lily shook her head, "It doesn't change anything. You screwed me over before we were even born!"

"Technically," Piper offered, "Snow White and Prince Charming screwed you over. Just as much as they screwed over their own daughter."

"Yes, thank you Aunt P," Emma ground out, irritated, but looking at Lily, agreeing with just one point, "I had no more say in what happened than you did."

"And like she said," Lily jerked her head at Piper, "Your parents did. And the minute I get to Storybrooke…"

"You lay a hand on them, I end you!" Emma threatened as Piper's eyebrows rose, almost seeming impressed with how much Emma sounded like a Siren, even if she fully doubted Emma would be able to go through with the threat like a Siren would.

"Emma, stop!" Regina shouted.

But Lily wasn't done baiting her, "Yeah? And how are you gonna do that without your magic, Savior? Your parents are monsters, Emma. They banished me and threw you in a wardrobe. And now here you are, ready to die for them, because you're so perfect. The _savior_ ," she sneered, "Well, they deserve to be punished."

"I do not believe any of us are arguing that last point," Piper pointed out, "We are merely debating the method of punishment."

"Yeah right," Lily scoffed.

"Your method would, undoubtedly, be far too lenient…"

"I'm going to _kill_ them!" Lily defended.

"Yes, and how would they be _punished_?" Piper didn't even bat an eye now at the mention of someone trying to kill her cousin where she knew, before, she would have been ready to murder the threatener herself, "How would they suffer if you end their existence before they can feel the pain you have?" Piper tilted her head, "They deserve punishment from you, not death."

"Piper," Emma snapped at that, she wasn't helping the situation.

Piper just pushed off the car and moved to stand next to Emma, "You kill her before she has even done anything, Emma, and it will be just like that man. She has not earned her death...yet," she reminded Emma.

"I'm just trying to stop her from doing something she'll regret," Emma defended.

"As am I," Piper stated, "For YOU. Make no mistake Emma, you kill her, fine, I care not so long as we bring her body back to Storybrooke," she didn't need Lily alive to get her blood, "But then you shall have a rather irate dragon on the loose and your heart WILL darken. I know not how that will affect you after what Snow White did to you. I care not for Lily or her fate, but I DO care about you. If you WANT your heart to be dark, if you have thought this through," she looked Emma in the eye, "If you choose to do this, because you have thought about it, you understand the consequences of it, and you accept them, rationally and level-headedly, then I will not stand in your way. My purpose is to ensure you do not darken it heedlessly or without intention. If you choose a dark act after giving it much thought, because you WANT to, in your deepest level of your heart and mind and soul, I would even endeavor to help you see it through," and by 'see it through' she meant end the deed for Emma when she undoubtedly couldn't do it, because she KNEW Emma, she knew her heart as it was not, and she doubted it would be able to get her brain and body to go through with a dark deed, "But this? A reaction from anger and fear, that I will not abide. You have a choice, Emma, as does Lily…"

"No I don't," Lily said, her voice sounding nearly choked and broken, "Thanks to her parents, I'm hardwired for bad decisions. So just let her, let her put me out of my misery," her gaze flickered to Emma, "You know the truth. We both know my life isn't worth saving," she scoffed, "And if you let me go, I _will_ destroy everything. It's what I do. So come on, be the hero and end this right here before it even starts," she shifted, seeing Emma hesitate, "Come on, Emma!"

But Emma just shook her head, "No," she lowered the gun, "Your life is worth something to your mother. And she deserves her daughter back."

Piper gave Emma a small nod at that, taking the gun when Emma handed it to her, though she couldn't help but notice Regina behind her, giving her an odd look, a confused look. It was almost like she wasn't sure why Piper had done that, talked Emma down from murder.

That was the point, wasn't it? To turn the savior dark? Murder would do that…so why stop her if it went against the plan?

~8~

The ride to New York, after all the excitement and tension from earlier, had been eerily quiet as the four women sat in the bug till they reached Neal's old apartment, making their way up together, not about to leave Lily alone in the car again nor let Regina confront her sister alone. Less powerful she might be here, but she was by no means powerless.

Regina, the moment the door came into view, ran to it and began to quickly knock, "Robin?" she called through it, "Robin, open up!"

The door suddenly opened and they were relieved to see Robin there, no 'Marian' in sight, "Regina? What are you doing here?" he quickly stepped out and hugged her tightly.

"I missed you."

"And I you…"

"The point, Regina?" Piper called, knowing that there was likely little time that they had to get Robin and Roland and get them out before they could confront Zelena.

"What's going on?" Robin frowned, pulling away, as though just noticing the other women, "Why are you here?"

"I can explain everything," Regina moved into the apartment, looking around, "But first, where's Marian?"

"She's at the store. Why?"

"Good," Regina sighed, "Then there's time. But we have to act fast."

"What's this about?" Robin shook his head.

"Marian, we have to leave before she gets back. She is not who she says she is."

"What?"

"Oh for god's sake," Piper grumbled over Regina not just getting to the point already as they followed them in, "Zelena is alive, killed Marian in the past, and has been impersonating her all this time."

"What!?" Robin gaped

"Yes, thank you," Regina shot her a glare, before softening as she turned to Robin, "It's true, I'm sorry. She tricked us all, she survived and, somehow, she went back, and she killed Marian. She took her place to get back at me."

"No," Robin shook his head, "This is madness!"

"Robin," a voice called behind them, making them stiffen to see 'Marian' in the doorway, holding a brown grocery bag, "What's going on?" her expression hardened when she saw not just Regina but Piper there, "And what is _she_ doing here?"

Piper's eyes narrowed as 'Marian' entered the room, making her way to Robin, knowing she was also asking why SHE was there, when Gold had made the deal not to interfere.

"Well, I never made any deal with you, Zelena," Piper stated as though speaking to an idiot, "Rummy may have, but I did not."

"Who's Zelena?" 'Marian' played along.

"Look," Robin shook his head, stepping in front of 'Marian, "You're scaring Marian…"

"Good," Regina glared, trying to step towards the woman, but Robin was in the way, "Where's the magic? You must have brought something to make this glamour work. Where is it, Zelena? Show me, or I will rip you apart until I find it!"

"Regina, that's enough!" Robin actually snapped, not seeing 'Marian' starting to smirk behind him at the shocked look on Regina's face, "Look, I know that this is hard for all of us. But this is the new reality. I'm with her. I'm _with_ Marian."

"Really?" Piper scoffed, "THAT quickly?"

"Oh I know," 'Marian' sighed, her inflection shifting just subtly enough that Robin stiffened at the difference, "That 'true love' talk really doesn't hold up in a world without magic, does it?"

"What…" Robin turned around.

'Marian' just smirked, "Hello, dear husband," she touched a necklace around her neck and her appearance shifted in a flash of light, revealing Zelena standing there in Marian's clothing.

"No," Robin gaped.

"What the hell was that?" Lily whispered to Emma.

"That was magic," Emma told her.

"Come on, Robin," Regina reached out to touch Robin's arm, "We have to get you and Roland out of here," but he didn't move, "Robin," she tried to shake him, "Get Roland and let's go!"

"I think he still wants to stay," Zelena taunted

"Robin, what are you _doing_?" Regina tightened her grip on his arm, "Get your son and let's go!"

"I…" Robin turned to her, looking for all the world as though his own world had fallen apart, "I _can't_."

"Yes, you can," Regina tried to speak calmly, assuming his reaction was from shock, "Just come with me. Come on. Let's go…"

"I'm sorry," Robin swallowed hard, "I can't leave her here."

"What?!"

"Do you want to tell her?" Zelena smirked wickedly, "Or should I?"

"Tell me _what_?" Regina demanded, looking at Robin, "Robin?"

Robin swallowed hard, "She's pregnant."

It shouldn't have surprised anyone, though everyone did jump, when Piper just started laughing.

A/N: Oh Piper, I honestly couldn't picture any other reaction from her but to just start laughing at the insane situation. After my initial reaction, disgust at what happened, had passed (as much as it could), I just felt like laughing bitterly at the situation. More of a 'You have GOT to be kidding me' thing :(

I hope that what Piper said to Emma about support her doing dark deeds made sense. Piper would do as much as she could to keep Emma from actually going through with it, but she also knows that there's relative safety in her statement. She knows Emma as a person, got to know her, and Emma is like Snow White in a sense that, for the most part, as much as she says she'll do something dark, she won't actually go through with it. Especially now that all the potential for darkness was sucked out of her, sort of makes her like Cruella in that she can't physically do it as she currently is. Emma also has a much better sense of what is right and wrong and, now that she's been made aware of how close she came to falling into the self-righteous hero trap with her actions regarding Marian, she's more aware not to do something just because she thinks it is good or just but consider it from all sides. Emma is more talk than action when it comes to darkness, she may say she'll do it, may plan it and get to the very end, but never pull the trigger, she doesn't have it in her, Snow made sure of that. Piper would be there to take the gun and do the final deed herself. She would be there to watch out for Emma, to subtly try to guide her away from the darkness as well, like she did here with her remarks.

If Emma really and truly WANTED to do a dark deed, thought it out, considered it at length, talked to Piper about it, she would still try to do the final part herself, but she would understand that Emma is an adult and, if she was absolutely sure Emma was NOT making the decision lightly but had agonized over it and thought long and hard about it and they were both sure it wouldn't have twice as bad a result on her heart after what Snow did to it, she might MIGHT consider letting Emma do it. But, then again, she honestly _doubts_ Emma would go through with it. She would say whatever she needs to to be the one standing beside Emma as she goes on a quest of darkness in order to influence her against it as they go or take on more of the dark deeds Emma may not even realize are put upon her.

It's almost psychological how Piper handles Emma compared to Snow and Charming, she knows they and other heroes would _forbid_ Emma to do a dark deed, do everything they could to hinder her, fight with her and threaten her and more, they would just end up pushing Emma towards doing it that way. Like when you tell someone not to do something and it makes them want to do it more, forbidding something makes it more a desired action. Piper actually raised a child and knows that, so she would go along with it all the while knowing it would never actually happen. Humor Emma and be there to be the one that actually accomplishes the deed. She also knows that, in being open to Emma about possible dark deeds, Emma would come to her to TALK about it, that Emma would trust her with keeping it on the down low, where as she would NEVER talk to her parents about even contemplating a dark deed because heroes wouldn't understand or listen and would just jump to conclusions. Piper is making sure, in telling Emma she would be there for her during dark deeds, that Emma comes to someone first before going off on her own to see it through, giving her a way to nudge her off the dark path.

She doesn't _want_ Emma going dark for the wrong reasons, she wouldn't do anything to push Emma to it, because she knows darkness would harm Emma's heart more now without her darkness in her than before. But she knows there is a better way than a hero's way or Snow's way to prevent Emma doing something dark than to outright forbid it or fight her on it. There are subtler ways to make someone consider another option than arguing the point to death like Snow or a hero would.

Some notes on reviews...

I'm very flattered you think I'd be a good writer for the show :') I agree, I feel that they are just too focused on the plots and twists and characters they're bringing in instead of making sure that the show makes sense and that the characters they already have and have built up are reacting realistically :/ I hate that the potential they had in the show just got lost and no matter how they try to fix it, there's just way too much to be fixed at this point :( And no worries, it makes me angry too. I'm glad you're enjoying the story though :)

That's awesome! I'm glad they went well :) I'm not sure if I write quite that fast, I mostly pre-write a series in its entirety before I actually post it. It's just the editing can take almost as long as writing the chapter lol :)

I'll have to try the spaces too, thanks :) Oh I can say we'll see a flashback of pregnant Ilayda, but not till Season 5 ;)

Oh not mean at all, I am SO looking forward to Snow's reaction also }:) I was debating having his parents back off a little when he revealed that bombshell, but they reminded me a little of my own grandparents in what they choose to believe. My grandmother grew up in Germany and even though she was a very accepting person and understood the Holocaust was terrible, she would defend Hitler no matter what. She thought he was a great man, he did horrible things, but he was overall a great man. I am disgusted by that and can see it for what it was, in my opinion. It reminded me of Ethan's parents, they are being confronted with someone they have always thought to be an evil species and find they did something truly good, but it's so ingrained in them that 'Sirens are evil' they just can't accept that their son had tried to do what he did. They would rather believe Ilayda somehow had a hand in that too or that it was all a trick to manipulate and get power over a king than that their son would go that far :( They just can't accept a Siren could be good the same way my grandmother, despite all the evidence, couldn't accept Hitler was a monster :( I'm glad you liked the Eva-Ilayda moment :)

It'll depend on if Piper is around when the darkness descends as to whether it'll get Emma or not }:) She might be incapacitated or too far away to get to Emma or she may have some sort of suffering as a result of Gold's heart and the ritual to save it or she might be trying to lure the darkness to her but it goes for Emma instead or it refuses to latch onto Piper because it might endanger the life that carries its own darkness in it or Emma uses her magic to freeze Piper so she CAN'T interfere or many other things ;) We'll have to wait and see what happens }:) I can say I have pictured a Dark One Piper though, and I plan for her to appear in some way/shape/form one day }:)

I could see an image of Belle being in the UW to taunt and torment Gold, but then again I could also see her reuniting with him as he finds some way to return from the UW too :) I will really find it unfair if Neal can't come back from being dead but Hook can for some likely plotholed reason :( I can say we may see Eva and Leopold's reaction to Snow, it could be possible. I can't say for sure just yet but...if they're going to the Underworld, and Eva wasn't all that heroic and Leopold had his dark/questionable moments too...they might be there for a run in with Snow ;) But, then again, that might be wishful thinking that the writers would actually delve into showing who people think are heroes aren't always heroes and don't always go to heaven to show the current heroes they need to stop being so self-righteous.

I've found, as the show goes on, that I get really frustrated by their lack of reasons and I try to work out what they could have possibly been to try and make sense in my writing. Though I can say Piper might surprise you with her reaction to Hook as the Dark One. There may be more 'I told you so'ing going on than denouncements ;) But there will definitely be more of a look into reasonings and trying to find some semblance of realism in the rather poor story the writers gave us for the show lately.

I'm glad you're looking forward to the AU :) I have considered Neal, but we'll have to wait till he's actually old enough to display Siren-traits to see if he has any. I can say Snow has thought of it too, but she's in deep denial about it and forcing herself not to think about it. At some point I do plan for Male Sirens to be discussed and brought up, so we'll learn more about them too ;) I can't say if I'll be changing much of Season 5 just yet, but I can say that I will be trying to give more reasons and psychology to the events of it. Some characters may be cut out from certain scenes and more background and development will happen, or I hope it will be seen as background and development ;) So there will be some changes, but I don't want to give away too much about what they are ;)

I'm glad you enjoyed Ethan and Ilayda :) It makes me very excited for a future flashback chapter of when Ilayda is pregnant, seeing the two of them dealing with that and how they both handle it ;) Eva and Ilayda made me happy to write, after all the wariness Ilayda got from just about everyone, I wanted at least one other person to accept her, and Eva fit the bill :) I don't think the curse from Cora put darkness in Snow's heart, I feel like Eva would make sure her child was protected from her curse and Cora's determination to turn Snow's heart dark seemed to imply it was pure at the moment. I'm glad you liked the chapter :) I agree, I think the writers are trying to cram too much into just half a season instead of taking time to really flesh out what could be excellent villain arcs and plots and character development into a whole season. It makes everything feel too rushed :( I hate when they just leave off with characters too. Will was amazing and I can say we'll see A LOT more of him in Lyssa's story as well as Maleficent and Lily there too ;) I thought the year passing was from the Missing Year or that he had a birthday during the show but it was just glossed over :/ I can't quite see Cora and Hook hanging out for a year with no action in Storybrooke :/ The show really needs like a calendar in the background of every episode so that people know what's going on lol. That's awesome, I'd love to see it :)


	37. Always a Threat

_Always_ a Threat

Rose Red wasn't entirely sure what was happening. Well, she understood what was supposed to have happened, but she didn't understand what was currently going on. Because it was impossible, it was just impossible. Her father COULDN'T be hurt! He couldn't be dying. He just couldn't be!

Her father, the king, was meant to travel to a neighboring kingdom, there was some king or another, she truly didn't care enough to know his name, whose wife had an enormous library filled with very rare books. Her father was going there to try and make a contract with the kingdom to have a book or two brought to their kingdom for the scribes to copy so that there would be backup versions of the tomes incase anything happened to the originals, perhaps even copy the copies and spread more knowledge through the lands. The scribes of her kingdom were very dedicated and very well educated, which wasn't untrue of other lands and kingdoms, but their kingdom was also closer to the library's too. For having so many books, there weren't enough scribes and the other kingdom was more concerned with gaining knowledge than sharing it, so her father had decided to offer their services in protecting the knowledge too.

They weren't sure if the other kingdom would be agreeable to it though, the books were _enormously_ precious to them and it hadn't been until recently that her father had even thought to attempt his negotiation. The other kingdom had, unfortunately, announced that the king's second child, a boy, had not lived past his birth, he had no male heir and the birth had left the queen unable to carry another babe. All they had was a princess, Nell or something, to focus on and cherish and train now, it had made her father think they might be more open to negotiations as they had to have realized how precious other things besides books were in their loss, as well as how easily something precious (like a book) could be lost if life itself could end so quickly and without warning. And, now that they would ensure the future of the kingdom by caring for their princess, maybe they would also want the future of the books secured too?

Her father thought it was a good plan, and he was going to travel there himself so that the king and queen would know he was very serious about his plan to have the books copied. The only downside to it was that she and her mother would have to remain in the kingdom while he was away. She didn't mind it so much, she would rather be in the castle than mingling with the other children and other people. And she knew that her mother preferred remaining in the palace over travelling. As much as her mother had grown used to living on land, she did not do well in travel by carriage and was often sick afterwards.

She knew why they'd really been requested to stay there though, many of the other kingdoms, even many in their own kingdom, weren't very comfortable with her mother being a Siren. Some had even refused to do deals with them if her mother was the negotiator or even just present. The prejudice was very bad for dark-creatures, she knew, and often well-founded as her mother was quite proud to remind her. And in being half-Siren, she was sure that she had been requested to stay back because of that as well…despite the fact that her father had insisted it was because she was too young to make such a trip, she knew she was old enough and had made many trips without her parents to visit her cousin. Not many people were accepting of her either, though some tried because they saw that, while she was still half-Siren, she was also half-King Ethan and that meant something to some people.

So she knew what the plan was. Her father was supposed to go to the other kingdom, talk to the king, and negotiate trying to copy the books.

How it came about that the entire thing ended in chaos, with castle in an uproar and her father was lying on his bed, covered in bandages that were already turning pink from the wounds he sustained, she didn't know.

She had been sitting in the window, looking out, waiting for her father to return. He was supposed to be back yesterday and, while they tried not to assume anything was wrong, it was worrying. Her father was always a good judge of time and how long certain trips took. He was always sure to give himself enough of it so as not to worry anyone or overestimate himself and seem foolish when he was unable to deliver. She had _just_ been looking out the window when the gates to the castle courtyard were thrown open and soldiers rushed in…with her father lying on a makeshift stretcher carried between them. His clothing was dirty and soiled and stained with blood and she had screamed.

The next thing she knew bandages and water were being rushed to her parents' bedroom, the physicians were called in to treat him, and the servants were rushing about to try and help.

Her mother had screamed as well when she saw her husband in the state he'd been in just before the doctors could attend him. She had rushed in with her mother, she had seen him, but her mother had had the better view.

Her mother had had to be dragged out of the room by two rather large soldiers so that the doctors could do their jobs. She had followed her mother, not wanting to be ripped away from her father in the same manner, not wanting to be in the way and maybe cause things to go worse as people would have to work around her. She had to trust the doctors, her father was in their hands…now her mother was in hers. And she wasn't sure what to do about it. As old as she was, she was not old enough to be the one supporting and comforting a parent in distress.

Her mother hadn't calmed down till she'd been nearly dragged into the throne room, the space seeming to remind her that she was the _Queen_ and could have ordered the men to let her go and let her see her husband. She'd seemed to regain a little of her senses and began demanding they tell her how her husband ended up in such a state. The men had actually jumped at the venom and darkness radiating in her mother's voice and quickly got to the tale so as not to upset her more.

They had been on the road back to the castle, had been unsuccessful in convincing the other kingdom to relinquish a book or two for preservation, and had nearly come within sight of the castle, when bandits had attacked them. Her father hadn't anticipated being attacked on the road, had even taken care to dress as a peasant for the journey to and from the kingdom to lessen the chances. He always hated flashing his status around like that. The bandits had attacked and they had fought off as many as they could…but one soldier turned out to be the one who tipped off the bandits that the king would be travelling, had been in on it…and had taken her father by surprise when he attacked _them_ instead of the bandits.

Her father had sustained injuries from the knives and swords that were used, had even been dealt a few physical blows through the course of the attack while trying to ensure all his men survived. By the time the bandits fled...only half the soldiers were left. And now her father was on the edge of death from the wounds. The remaining soldiers had quickly fashioned a stretch of cloth between two tree branches and hurried to carry their king back for medical attention.

She had never seen her mother more furious than she was at that moment as she stood there, completely and utterly silent, rigid as a statue, hardly looking as though she were breathing. She had dismissed the guards in the coldest tone she had ever heard.

The only thing that had made her mother move in the long minutes after being left alone in the throne room was when she herself had gone over to her mother and hugged her, not knowing what else to do to comfort the woman or be comforted.

Her mother had immediately knelt to the ground and embraced her in a tight hug, though she said nothing, no reassurances that Ethan would be alright, which was understandable…there was nothing that said he wouldn't die before they even made it back up to him. After a few long minutes, her mother had looked her in the eye, wiped the tears that had fallen from beneath them though none had fallen from her mother's eyes, and promised her that all would be well, that her father was safe now, and that someone would most assuredly pay for this event.

That was all her mother had said before she took her hand and the two made their way back up the stairs. They must have been standing in the throne room longer than they realized for, by the time they returned to Ethan's side, the doctors had just finished stitching his wounds and covering him in salve and bandages, leaving him to rest. They had gone to his side, she had knelt by the edge of the bed, holding her father's hand, while her mother had sat on the edge of the bed, nearer to his head, brushing her hands through his hair and singing to him softly.

Three days later her father still hadn't woken, and the two of them had hardly moved from his side since they arrived there...until then.

~8~

"Mama?" Rose Red murmured as she slowly blinked awake from where her mother was gently shaking her, rousing her from sleep, "What is it?" she rubbed her eye…when a thought struck her and she sat up with a gasp, "Papa…"

"Is well," her mother reassured her, and it was then that she noticed her mother was wearing a dark black dress with an equally dark cloak over her.

"Mama?" she repeated.

"Come," her mother held out a hand, helping her up, "You must ready with haste," she told her, gesturing to a pair of dress and cloak just as dark lying on the edge of the bed. She had been ordered to her room after the third night of her father's continued slumber, her mother insisted, swore she would wake her if anything changed for better or worse.

"For what?" Rose inquired even as she got out of the bed and grabbed the dress, not bothering to go behind the changing curtain, it was her mother after all.

"Your father shows signs of waking," she murmured, staring out the window, watching both the guards below and the half-moon in the sky, "He shall heal. But he should _never_ have been injured."

"No," Rose agreed, pulling the dress over her head, "But what has that got to do with…"

"You know what I am, daughter," her mother cut in, "You know what you are, as a result," Rose nodded, "I cannot abide this happening, not to my mate."

Rose blinked at that, fastening the cloak around her, "Mother?"

"Tonight," her mother took a breath, seeming like she was barely having the strength to keep her emotions in check around her daughter, "Tonight I teach you how a Siren hunts."

~8~

Rose was distinctly sure she should have felt angry and bitter for the reason she and her mother were walking through the woods that night just an hour later. She was sure she should have felt resentful that the _only_ reason she was accompanying her mother was _not_ because her mother thought her capable and truly wanted to teach her what was happening, but instead that her mother couldn't utilize her own magic any longer and, as a result, needed to rely on her daughter to use her magic instead.

She should have felt resentful about it...but as she walked through the woods with her mother, _all_ she could feel was the magic inside her…and the instinct she was sure was tenfold stronger in her mother driving her to find those that had harmed her clan and tear them apart.

Her mother had taught her a new song, a new way to listen for songs, when they had reached the area that the soldiers had informed her mother was where the attack had occurred. There had been a bit of blood scattered around the area, even still, days later, and her mother had taught her how to listen for a faint trace of the song in the blood, how to get a sense of where the owner of the blood was. It was like a song in the distance that only she could hear, and the closer she got to it, the louder it became. There had been two directions the music had come from, back towards the kingdom which was the blood of the soldiers and her father, and off into the woods…which was the bandits, which was where they were currently heading. Clearly the bandits were not very clever as the song itself was not as quiet or faint as it should have been if they had been wise enough to truly flee the kingdom, instead it seemed they had decided to linger, as though waiting to hear tell of the king and if they had managed to finish him off.

And it was…odd. Because the closer she got to the songs, the more a heat rose in her stomach, the more she tingled, and the _angrier_ she felt.

She had expressed the odd feeling to her mother who had smiled as though she were proud of her for feeling it and explained it was her instinct, as a Siren, even as a half one, that something in her _knew_ that the songs she was listening to had caused harm to someone she loved. It was stirring inside her, the protective instinct that Sirens felt for their families, it was building a desire to see that threat dealt with and removed, to cause harm for the harm caused to her. And she was very happy that such an instinct occurred, both her mother and herself. She...she _liked_ feeling the new traits of a Siren come up, it made her feel closer to her mother, like she was starting to understand another side of herself. When they first arose, it was almost warming, inviting, familiar to her, she liked that feeling. Usually weeks, sometimes months later, she would feel differently, or something would happen that made her think she shouldn't feel so happy about it, about being more and more a Siren. But for now...it was a _wonderful_ feeling. It made her feel like it wasn't that _bad_ to be a Siren, they just loved their families and wanted them safe, there was nothing wrong with that.

"Mother," she breathed, stopping short in their silent walk, "I hear it, clearly now…" she looked to the left as though hearing something her mother couldn't, "Over there," she pointed through a thick bush.

Her mother nodded and the two crept closer to it, her mother parting just a branch of the bush and crouching down, looking through it to see they were on something of a hill, at the bottom was a campfire, a group of 5 men around it, all speaking in hushed tones, a small crinkling river beside them, which covered the sound of their voices.

" _Them_."

For a moment, Rose wasn't sure who had uttered the word with such venom and darkness and accusation…till she realized it was _herself_ that had said it.

Her mother nodded, letting go of the branch and turning to look at her daughter, "Rose," she began, "What I am about to do…" Rose glanced down at the strain in her mother's voice to see that the woman seemed to be shaking, gripping the branch so hard in what appeared to be restraint that her knuckles were white, "You may not wish to see."

Rose frowned at that, tilting her head back to her mother's face, "Mother?"

Her mother took a deep breath, "I can _feel_ it…" she closed her eyes, shaking her head slightly as though to ward something off, "Even now, I feel the instinct," she murmured, she may not possess her magic, but all other Siren traits had stuck with her, grown stronger the more she allowed Ethan into her heart, grown fiercer when she became a mother, "I will not be able to resist long, and the longer I do…the more violent and…gruesome," she warned, "It will be," she forced her eyes open, looking at Rose, breathing hard, "You may not wish to look, but you must stay _here_."

Before Rose could even reply, her mother stood and, almost within the blink of an eye, disappeared into the thick trees around her. Rose stood a little, looking around, spinning in a small circle to try and spot where her mother had gone, only to crouch back down in alarm when she heard a strangled scream from behind her. She quickly grabbed the branch of the bush and pushed it down, peering through it to the camp below, her eyes widening in shock…feeling unable to look away even at the horror of what was going on below her.

Her mother was there, in a savage glory that she had never thought possible, attacking the men before they could even react.

As much as she felt she should look away, she felt the instinct in her telling her to watch, telling her that this was important to observe, that she should know this, know what a true Siren was like when consumed by protective fury and the lust for blood and revenge, know how to TAKE that revenge. She could feel herself pale as she watched her mother in action, but something in her told her this was _right_ , this was _just_ , the men deserved SO much worse for daring to harm her father!

She hadn't thought it was possible to tear someone's throat out with bare hands before.

She hadn't thought it was possible to literally claw someone's eyes out.

She hadn't thought it was possible to drown someone in a fire…

Her mother proved her wrong.

She watched in a stunned, curious horror as her mother tore the small camp apart, seeming to be in such a frenzy she didn't even realize when she herself had been harmed or cut by the men and their weapons. It did make some sense in a way, Sirens were creatures, they didn't feel as much as humans did, their range of emotion was more limited. They felt pain, yes, but not as fully as humans, they felt anger and happiness and love, but hardly felt fear or regret or much of humor. They were more primal and basic than humans were. It was one thing she had failed to inherit from her mother, she felt like a human did, she felt all their emotions, some of them overwhelming at times due to the Siren in her being unfamiliar with them. She couldn't not feel, as much as she sometimes wished to, not unless her heart started to harden and become more Siren-like but her parents were set on trying to preserve her heart as it was as much as it could be. Her heart was her heart, it was how she was born, they didn't want to change it or cause it to harden when it wasn't like that now, they wanted it to remain as it was as long as possible, even if it meant she had all the weaknesses of a human when it came to emotions.

Rose shook her head from her thoughts when she saw her mother get backhanded right in the face. But her mother was strong, stronger still in allowing the instinct to take over and fuel her. She bounced back from blows to the face and body faster than any of the knights in their training. She dodged and ducked swings with such a keen instinct. She seemed to have gained an almost inhuman strength in her fury and drive to see her husband avenged.

She had to wonder if her mother still had some sort of magic left, a magic that only came out in the most desperate of times, for there was no other explanation for how her mother could attack five men that had managed to harm her father so badly…and tear them apart the way she had while coming out alive.

Before she even realized it, the attack was over and her mother was left standing in the middle of the camp, standing on the back of a man that had his face pushed and held down into the middle of the fire, glaring at the remains of the other men, breathing hard, shoulders heaving, not even seeming to notice the tears in her clothing nor the blood running down the various cuts on her body.

She was quite sure she should have run away, should have been terrified, when her mother looked up at her, locking eyes with her through the bushes she was peering through…and smiled.

But she didn't.

Instead…she smiled back.

~8~

Rose Red watched in silence as her mother, with her head held high, strode through the village as it began to wake, her hand firmly clasped in her mother's strong hold. The villagers were startled...that was an understatement, they were _horrified_ to see their Queen gliding along, a feral smile on her face, covered in blood and wounds. It was almost like a force surrounded the two of them as they walked on, the crowds that had gathered to look upon the Queen parting hastily as she strode by. She could hear the whispers that were rising, the questions and concerns for what had happened to the Queen…even some well guessed corrections that they ought be more worried about what had happened to the ones the Queen had encountered. She was sure her mother could hear the whispers as well, though the older woman seemed to smile more at them and the fear rising around them than anything else.

Ilayda walked along, her gaze on the castle walls, never minding the people around her, but being sure to keep tight to her daughter as one never knew what humans would do when fear was sparked. She had slaughtered five men this night, she would have no qualms taking out more, taking out men and women and even children if they dared harm her daughter in her current state of mind. She didn't slow in her walk, not till she had reached the gates of the castle walls, where she abruptly turned to face the crowd that had gathered, stopping all whispers, causing a hush to fall over the group.

She looked at the men and women before her, her gaze trailing over them before she straightened her head, "Five men lie dead in the woods," she began, her voice echoing in the still of the morning, "Five bandits that attacked my husband, my MATE, your king," her expression hardened, "Let THIS be a warning to any who would DARE harm my clan," Rose glanced up at her for that word, her mother often slipped into the terms Sirens used when she was upset, she always tried to at least make something of a minuscule effort to use more human terms when addressing the people other times, "You harm those I love, your life is MINE."

Rose blinked and her mother turned on her heel, leading her off with her through the walls of the castle, closing off the murmurs of the crowd behind them as the gates shut once they passed.

She was a little startled when, instead of returning straight to her father's side, her mother instead paused outside the door to their bedroom. The woman stared at the door a moment before she turned to face her daughter, kneeling down before her and taking both hands in her own.

"My apologies, Rose," her mother spoke quietly, squeezing her hands, "I ought not have taken you with me."

"You stopped the bandits," Rose shook her head, confused, "The ones that hurt father. And I helped. You wouldn't have been able to if I didn't go."

Her mother smiled at her softly, "I would have made do," she admitted, "I may not be able to use my magic, but I can still hunt. It would take longer, yes, but I could have done so alone."

Rose frowned, "I would not want you to. Nor would father."

"Truth," she agreed, "But he would not have wanted _you_ to witness that."

"Why not?"

Her mother looked at her a long while, "You are still very young, daughter, we would keep you from the darker, baser instincts of Sirens as best we could."

"I am half a Siren," Rose argued, "I ought to know sooner."

"It is a difficult road to walk," her mother warned, "Far more for me than you, I should hope. You are half human, Rose," she smiled a bit in thought, "Your father's daughter," before she shook herself slightly, "But you are also mine. The people…" she sighed, "They are frightened of me, and therefore are of you as well. I would not wish that. I would wish you more human in their eyes. My actions today, in having you seen at my side after my hunt, ensured that will never be."

"You _protected_ them, mother," Rose continued to argue, "You stopped the bandits that attacked their king, that could have attacked _any_ of them. You kept them _safe_."

"They shall not see it as such," her mother sighed, "Humans…they fear that which they do not understand. And they do not understand Sirens, not like your father does. They will not see it as a Queen protecting her people, but a Siren seeking to avenge her mate. As they should," she nodded, "For that is exactly what it was. I did not do what I did for them, I did it for your father."

Ilayda looked at her daughter a long while, reaching up a hand to gently stroke Rose's hair, thoughtful, "The magic of the Sirens is strong in you, Rose, it will only grow stronger. What you witnessed, what possessed me this night…" she shook her head, "I sense you shall experience one day as well."

"The instinct," Rose murmured.

Her mother nodded, "It will be stronger then."

"I will be older."

"Not just that," her mother informed her, "What you felt, the instinct that drove you to help me, was a Siren's desire to see their family, their clan, protected at all costs. Your instinct came from your _father_ being harmed, wanting to avenge him. I…" she sighed, "I was taken by the instinct to protect my _mate_. It can be…a driving instinct, intense, consuming," she looked at her daughter, "Had you been anyone else but my daughter I would not have cared if you came to harm in my quest for blood, _that_ is how powerfully a mate affects us. We, if forced apart, can be driven to the brink of obsession, insanity even, to see them returned to us. We would kill without thought, torture without remorse, attack without guilt, to see them returned, no matter who it is that stands in our way, even family at times. You _must_ be careful, Rose," she returned her hand to Rose's, squeezing them tightly, "You must be wary and cautious when you give your heart to another. Our mate strengthens us, gives us a…power we have never experienced, they make us better, stronger, but they are also our greatest weakness. If harm befalls them, if they are taken from us, if they are…killed," she swallowed hard, "We can scarcely control ourselves, we become vulnerable to the manipulations of others," she looked at her daughter, "I lost myself this night, my instinct consumed me, and I am no longer bound in the magic of a Siren. It may be worse for you, when you are older, Rose, even as a half-Siren. You must _promise me_ ," she squeezed her hands again, "Promise me that you shall be wise and careful with your heart, _do not_ give it lightly."

Rose nodded slowly, seeing the true concern and fear in her mother's usually guarded eyes, this was something that could potentially be _deadly_ to her. If she gave her heart to the wrong person, they could manipulate her, use her tie to them to use her. If she gave it to someone too weak to protect themselves, she would be living in a constant state of fear and paranoia, she would lose herself to the madness of the bond. If she gave it to someone that was unworthy, she would condemn herself to a lifetime of suffering for what she thought was love.

She had to be careful, her mother was imparting a true lesson to her, a warning, to be extremely careful about who she should give her heart to, because it would define her life from that point on. Seeing what her mother had done that night, the fury of the attack, the drive to see vengeance taken, how little she had seemed to care about herself…it was both beautiful and frightening. To love someone that much that you could become so lost in the most basic instincts, could give into them to see the person safe, it was a beautiful notion to her. But to be that consumed that she lost herself and could be injured or harmed or manipulated because of it, it was a terrifying thought.

"I promise, mother," she whispered, squeezing her mother's hands back, she would be careful about her heart, about giving it to someone.

"Your heart is YOURS, Rose," her mother added, "Your father and I will not allow it to be bartered off to a bidder nor to become a pawn in a ploy for peace. It will be yours to give to whomever you wish, and yours alone. So you must be wise."

"I will," she promised, having known her parents would never force her to wed someone she didn't love. She had seen it in other kingdoms, princesses given as wives to other kings for an alliance, her parents refused. Being a Siren, even partly, she would not be able to force love or give love where it wasn't earned or grown.

Not that it particularly mattered, she thought, no one that she knew would wish to wed her as a half-Siren anyway. They'd have to be either mad or as dark as Sirens were to want her, and there were few, if any, that fit that design.

It was almost…a relief, in a way, to think of that. If no one came that caused her heart to beat faster and made her long for another, then there was no chance of her giving her heart away to someone that wasn't worthy of it. She wouldn't have to fear the instinct taking her if there was no one to possess her heart.

She wasn't sure, at this point in her life, what she wanted. At times she felt she wished to be more human, at other times she cared so little that she might as well be a Siren. She kept going back and forth, but she was still young, she still had time to find herself and find someone that would accept her as she was beyond those in her family.

She looked up when her mother nodded and stood, the woman turning to the door and pushing it open without another word, stepping into her bedroom with Rose following after.

"My love," was the first thing either of them heard, said in a weak and tired voice, but actually spoken aloud…which meant...

"Ethan," Ilayda breathed, moving over to the bed where King Ethan was now awake, lying flat on his back, his head turned to the door, smiling at her. She took his hand, quickly kissing the back of it before leaning over to kiss his lips.

"And my sweet girl," he added, seeing Rose standing there as well. He held out his hand to her and Rose quickly hurried over, leaning up to give him as gentle a hug as she could.

"You're awake," she whispered, feeling tears prickle her eyes in relief that her father had woken.

"I am," he nodded, smiling at them, "I would not leave the two most important women in my life over a few minor scrapes," he looked at Ilayda more at that remark, eyeing her up and down, taking in her own wounds, "My love…"

"My apologies," her mother spoke quietly, though she didn't sound sorry or ashamed at all.

"I did think this would happen," he admitted gently, "I had hoped to wake before this point."

Rose blinked at that revelation, that her father had _known_ exactly what her mother would be want to do because of the state he was in.

"You would not have stopped me," her mother sounded more like she was reminding him of a fact than angry that he would have tried to.

"Oh I know nothing can stop you when the fancy takes you," he gave her a small smile, "I had merely meant, I hoped to be in a better position to tend your wounds myself."

Rose couldn't help the equally small smile that came to her face at her father's words. If only she could find a man that understood her and her instincts, understood what she was like and wouldn't try to change or manipulate or use her like her father did her mother. She might feel safer giving her heart to such a man if one existed, she doubted there was one though. Her father was a rare breed.

"I can tend myself."

King Ethan chuckled warmly, "I am very aware, my love," he grimaced a moment later, struggling to push himself to sit up in the bed, her mother rushing to help him do so without too much strain, "But this," he sighed, sitting back against a pillow and turning, managing to reach a small bowl of water and cloth resting on his bedside table, "Is one of the few ways I can take care of you. I do not wish another to see this duty, _my_ duty, done."

Rose moved to sit on the edge of the bed, watching, as a warm feeling grew in her chest, as her father gently used the cloth to clean her mother's wounds despite his own still obviously paining him.

No matter what the people might think of her mother, both as a Queen and Siren, nor what they thought of her and whatever might come of her life, there was one thing she was absolutely certain about…

Her father loved her mother very much, as a woman and a Siren, as a queen and a mother, as herself, and it was the purest love she had ever witnessed.

A/N: Poor Rose, she keeps getting tugged in two directions. She sees that her father accepts her mother, loves them both, and has no issue with them being Sirens or acting like it. But then she steps outside her family bubble and just about every other person around her has an issue with her being what she is :( She sees acceptance and thinks it may not be so bad to be a Siren...and then she gets reminded at every turn that the people hate Sirens and maybe she should try to be more human :(

I sort of wanted to try and give more backstory to why it hurts so much for Snow to see Piper as the enemy now, and also why it means SO much to her that Gold accepts her as she is and loves her regardless. She has always wanted something like what her parents had, and she got all that and more in Gold. Not only does she have someone that accepts her darkness, but is just as dark (more dark even) than she is :')

I can say some minor foreshadowing here too. Rose remarks that she doubts there would be a man that would understand what a Siren was like and their instincts and still accept her. We'll see a flashback chapter in Season 5 of just how much effort Rumpelstiltskin put into learning about Sirens and what they are like, just to understand Piper ;)

Some notes on reviews...

I wanted Will to just outright reveal Hook's actions too, though I doubt Emma at that point in time would have believed Will over her beau :/ I think Will and Belle were both trying to make the best of a bad situation, using each other to heal, and also because they understood what it was like to love someone that went dark and hurt them. I don't think their relationship would have gone far but more grown into a good friendship in the end :) I was curious what happened to Ana too, but I guess the writers forgot to answer that. I felt like they forgot Ruby existed till people were like 'Where's Ruby?' and then they were like 'Oh, right!' and gave us a weird backtracked episode to explain it. Maybe they'll do the same, get people wondering 'What happened to Ana?' and go 'Oh yeah, we were supposed to reveal that...' and finally say :( I could see the UW being brought to Storybrooke more, I doubt Gold left a note telling Belle he was going to the Underworld and to come meet him there, lol, so it's more likely, to me, that the UW ends up in Storybrooke, because everything else does lol. Lyssa is the OC from my Hook/OC story, Calm Before the Storm ;)

I can say Regina might get wise to the fact that's not the actual plan, turning Emma dark, but some events in Season 5 will keep her from revealing it to Snow ;) Regina's reaction to the pregnancy might be more on a backburner to her, I think with Zelena being pregnant, the LAST thing she wants is yet another person pregnant when SHE can't be pregnant, so she'll probably try the 'If I don't acknowledge it, it's not there' approach for the beginning ;) Oh I think Zelena would use anything to taunt Piper if she knew it would get to her, which the baby definitely would ;) It'll depend on Zelena's baby, I've got some twists in mind so we'll have to see what becomes of that first ;)

Oh Piper will want to make Snow suffer first, she won't forgive easily at all }:) I can say IF Emma forgives Snow, there'll be more motivating it than Snow is aware of }:)

I can say the Dagger will change hands a few times, but a certain person obtaining it will be both shocking and not quite shocking at the same time ;) I don't think Piper would want to be a hero either, at most the only reason Gold might consider heroism is because the 'good deeds' would be good for his heart but he wouldn't WANT to be a hero either nope :) I have a few twists in mind for the finale, lost of betrayal going on and things you may not expect, but I hope everyone will enjoy it :)

I'm sorry you had to get surgery done! I hope you're doing better! :)

I can say that there will be a discussion from Henry with Piper about if she thinks he might have gotten any Siren traits too in Season 5 ;) Piper might not talk to Regina about that but she'll be making some pointed remarks about how the Evil Queen has now become Snow's Servant and such ;) Oh she'll SO be commenting on that whole soap opera drama ;)

I don't think it's wrong, it was the worst twist the writers could have ever gone with, completely pointless, and they don't even handle the psychological trauma at all :( The baby will likely never have any meaningful screen time, in which case, what was the point of it? And it wouldn't have mattered if the baby survived or not if it's not going to be utilized in a very important and ON screen way, which I doubt it will nor would I want it to be present either :/

I do have a plan for an original story/series when the show ends, sort of like one more season to wrap up things and try my hand at writing OUAT myself lol :) But thank you :) I get sorely tempted to just rewrite the show, but I try to stay as true to what's going on as I can, which is trying at times, very very trying lol. There were brief moments of Season 5 so far that were wonderfully done, few though they were, but I agree a majority just got too flipped and underdone or over done :/ I thought Swan Song would be based on Emma too :(

I'm glad you like the Emma here :) I feel like she's starting to listen to and trust someone that is having a positive influence on her life and giving guidence and advice where she needs it, ironic as that might be given that the someone is a dark creature lol. In the AU I have planned, we'll see a very wise and rational Emma as she would have been raised by Piper her entire life ;) Lol, that's how I pictured it too, like Piper and Gold are just going back and forth and poor August is sitting on the couch rolling his eyes till he's just like 'Mom, go I got this' and Gold is pointing at him like he won the argument :) I actually found Regina being there odd too, in the sense that how the writers had her speaking and what she was saying sounded forced. I felt like she was there with Emma for Snow, and also tried to stop her because if she brought back a Darkened Emma, Snow and Henry would be after her and the town would point fingers like 'villain!' again at her. It just didn't seem to fit, because Regina understands pain and anger and needing to let it out, but she kept telling Emma 'Actually, no, don't release the negative feelings, just keep them bottled up because heroes don't have negative feelings.' Or that's how it came across to me, it was like she was trying to guilt Emma into not showing negative emotions or reacting to something that was devastating and scaring her instead of offering her another way to do it, which is worse to let it fester and stay bottled up :/ I really wanted that to be a big thing for Piper, honesty with her family. It's useful not only that it shows she cares for them in that she doesn't lie, so she's not 'evil,' but also...how much of an advantage has it been to the villains in being honest with Emma and Henry when the heroes have been lying all the time? It makes them seem better and more trustworthy over the heroes, which is some just desserts to them ;) So far Snow doesn't quite know there's something wrong with Gold, so she's not fully aware why Henry wants to go see Gold, but the point does stand it IS his grandfather and if he can live with his step-great grandmother the Evil Queen why can't he visit his biological grandfather the Dark One? :/ Oh Regina was very jealous of how Emma trusted Piper ;) I think Piper did help them a lot in being so blunt, she's laying out her cards and showing why she's saying what she does, whereas with Regina it sometimes came across like she was saying lines she thought she should say but didn't really mean, to control Emma instead of because she really cared about her, just my opinion ;) I didn't know about that deleted scene, I'll have to youtube it, thanks! :) I hope we get to see Eva and Leopold in the Underworld too, their reactions to Snow and Piper would be awesome :) I agree with your assessment of the writers lately, it just seems like they want to do it their way and when it blows up they just take a quick way and brush it under the rug, removing important and needed moments on screen so that maybe we'll forget the event even happened, and it just is more frustrating than anything :/ Lol, that's awesome, I'm glad Piper and your OC get along well :)


	38. Mother

Mother

Piper sat on the couch of Neal's apartment, her feet up on the small coffee table, her eyes trained on Zelena as she puttered around, a smirk on her wicked face, while Emma just observed what was still left of Neal's old life now that Robin had moved in and made a home there. Lily was beside her, her arms crossed, not seeming to know what to do with herself.

"Can't believe this survived all that time," Emma murmured, looking at a dream catcher, the same one she had spotted when they'd found Neal in New York the first time, now resting in a cardboard box with what seemed like all the belongings Neal had left.

"This place that belonged to your…" Lily began, guessing where Emma's mind had gone. There had been a brief mention, on the way there, that the apartment belonged to a Neal, a man who wasn't there any longer, a man that was important to Emma judging by how quiet Emma had gotten in the car at the mention of him. They may not be friends anymore, but she could still read Emma as well as she could as a child.

"His name was Neal," Emma cut in, "He was a lot of things to me."

"First love," Piper ticked off absently, her eyes narrowing on Zelena who had gone from smirking to evilly grinning in delight, "Father of her son."

"You have a kid?" Lily blinked, staring at Emma, her research and keeping tabs on the woman hadn't revealed that fact.

"Yeah," was all Emma gave her.

"Neal was as good as my child," Piper remarked, trying to get Lily's attention off Emma, give her niece a reprieve from the painful memories, even if it meant bringing up something equally as painful to her. Her expression, however, hardened as she observed Zelena longer.

Lily eyed her for that remark, "How'd that work?"

"He was Rumpelstiltskin's son," Piper stated easily, not caring how Lily would react to the mention of even more fairy tale characters, she had gone there with Snow White's daughter, the Evil Queen, and the Pied Piper, to track down Robin Hood and the Wicked Witch of the West…she doubted anything would surprise the girl now, "Rumpelstiltskin is my true love."

She didn't dare bring up the fact that she was pregnant around Zelena. As far as the woman knew, Gold's heart was failing and that was the _only_ drama going on in their lives, she was _not_ going to give the woman any more ammunition or leverage to hold over Gold, that she had 'saved' not just her life but their child's. On top of that, she wasn't entirely certain Zelena was even really pregnant, nor that it was truly Robin's. She DID have a magic charm that made her look like other people after all.

"The Dark One?" Lily gave Piper an incredulous look, familiar with the idea of the Dark One, and nowhere in the name did it say the 'Loving' Dark One, "The Dark One is your true love," she turned to Emma, "And she's your Aunt?"

Emma nodded, "Most messed up family tree in history. Snow White and the Pied Piper are cousins, my son's father is the Dark One's son, the Dark One's true love is the Pied Piper, the Evil Queen is my son's adoptive mother and his step-great grandmother…" she rubbed her head, "Gives me a headache just thinking about it."

"And he's dead," Lily tried to get it all straight, "Um, this Neal guy…"

"Ooh _very_ ," Zelena felt the need to taunt, "And at the hands of his beloved step-mother too," she mock-cooed at Piper.

Piper sent her a glare that very likely could have killed her had they been in Storybrooke, "I accept my actions led to his death," Piper nearly spat, "But I also acknowledge it was YOUR keeping Rummy from me that led to those actions."

"Rummy?" Lily blinked at that, but no one was paying attention to her nearly scoffing at the thought of _the Dark One_ being called 'Rummy.'

Zelena just rolled her eyes before smiling, "He _did_ make ever the fond little _pet_ …"

Piper was on her feet in an instant and, in the very next one, Zelena was pinned to the wall, Piper's right arm across her throat, her other hand tight on Zelena's arm, holding her there, actually seeming to have startled the woman with her action, "It seems you forget… _I_ was not the one to make a deal with you. _I_ could kill you this very instant and not shed a tear."

"Ooh," Zelena gasped, putting her free hand on her stomach, "I think I just felt it kick," she dared Piper with a look, "You wouldn't want to rattle an expectant mother now, would you?"

Piper just smirked darkly, "Modern medicine is quite something," she said, confusing Zelena for a moment, "A mother does not even have to be conscious or even truly alive to give birth, they could be a vegetable for all that science cares. They have machines that can keep your heart beating, your lungs breathing, tubes to give you nutrients, all to keep your body alive till the birth," she pressed on Zelena's throat, delighting in how Zelena's eyes widened as she felt her air being cut off, "The _only_ reason you live…is that you would make quite the fond little gift for Rummy to end himself," she mocked, "After that?" she shrugged, enjoying Zelena's gasps for air, the actual fear growing in her eyes as not even her other hand could seem to shove her back, "I could shatter your mind as easily as glass with machines to sustain your body. You do not need to be mentally present to give birth any longer. You are nothing more than an _incubator_ , Zelena, do not think yourself so important that you need to be 'living' for a baby to remain alive."

She shoved hard against Zelena and stepped back, watching as the woman coughed and nearly sank to her knees, gasping for air.

"Damn," Lily breathed, "That was _epic_."

Piper looked over at the two girls standing before her and gave a jesting bow, making Lily smirk and Emma shake her head, though the blonde said not a word against what she'd done or threatened Zelena with. Zelena clearly forgot that Emma had suffered with Neal's passing just as much as she and Gold had, she would not be the hero in this case, she would want to see Zelena nothing more than a vegetable.

"Is my mother as badass as her?" Lily asked Emma.

But before she could respond, the door was shoved open, Regina walking in, "Everyone, pack up," Regina called, leading Robin in from where the two had gone to get a drink and talk about their options before it was time to pick up Roland from school, "You too," she managed to not sneer at her sister, "We're going back to Storybrooke. Tonight."

~8~

There was a very noticeable divide when Emma's yellow bug drove into town and up to Granny's where a visible gathering had come for their return. Mary Margaret and David stood on one side of the road, just in front of Granny's, waiting for them with Hook, focused more on the yellow bug than the car behind it containing Robin, Regina, Roland, and Lily. Zelena had been left in the care of Emma and Piper for the return trip, Robin not wanting the redhead anywhere near his son, but not knowing how to drive the car either and needing Regina's help. Despite settling some of their differences, Lily was still very bitter to Emma and had requested being in Regina's car as well, away from the blonde. Needless to say, Zelena had been forcefully unconscious for the better part of the drive, lest either blonde be tempted to kill her on the way.

Further down the road, at the corner, was Maleficent, staring at the cars with tears in her eyes, but not wanting to stand closer to the heroes and the ones that had taken her daughter either.

On the other side of the road was Gold, leaning a little more heavily on his cane, with Henry and August on either side of him, though no one across the street seemed to notice him, and why would they? He might be weakening, but he still had his magic, and he had made sure that he was invisible to the view of the heroes and Maleficent for this outing. To them, it appeared that August and Henry were standing there, apart from them, in silent support of Piper, when really they were standing there with him, waiting for her.

He honestly wouldn't have cared whether the heroes could see him or not, but it had been a condition threatened to him by both August and Henry so that he could be 'let out' of the cabin to greet Piper. It was almost humorous, in a way, the two men threatening the Dark One as though their threats held any weight to him. But it was the reason behind the threats that had gotten him to agree to their conditions. They cared about him, they were trying to take care of him, keep him well, look out for him, both for him and for Piper. They didn't want to risk a confrontation with the heroes or for Maleficent to notice him and realize he'd known Piper had gone with Emma to reclaim her daughter. As far as the dragon knew, Emma had worked out the globe herself and gone with Regina. They doubted she'd care very much at the moment that Piper was getting out of a car with Emma, when her daughter was RIGHT there. But she certainly would have noticed HIM standing there had he not used magic to cover himself up. He was too weak to face her in a magical battle at the moment, he was likely too weak to face even the Charmings without them having magic really.

The moment Piper had gone over the town line, he'd gotten worse.

He had not been entirely happy with the decision that she should go with Emma, but he _had_ been the one to suggest it and insist upon it, because he knew how important her family was to her, how much she would regret and blame herself if anything happened to Emma because she wasn't there to watch over the girl. Henry and August had kept their promise, had come to see him and help him and the Author work on their plans while they waited, trying to hammer out exactly what needed to be written and what was needed for the writing to take effect. All the while they helped care for him too, fetching things and bringing him food so he wouldn't have to exert himself. But he insisted on being there to see Piper back and in one piece.

He had to admit, he was rather cross that Zelena appeared to be alive, despite the woman being powerless now that he could make out the black wrist band to cancel magic on her wrist. He knew why she was alive though, she was supposedly pregnant with Robin Hood's child. The moment there was an innocent involved, he knew that the heroes would band together to protect the woman, despite what she'd done to them, for the child's sake. It seemed Zelena, when she'd made the deal with him to find a way back to her happy ending, which would, in her mind, undoubtedly lead her back to Storybrooke, had taken precautions to ensure she'd be left alive till she got what she wanted. How though, he wasn't sure. The last he heard, Robin had been in love with Regina, he had even gone so far as to encourage the man to return to Regina.

And they called HIM the Dark One, they called HIM the villain, when the man had gone off and impregnated another woman despite claiming to have a soulmate in Regina. The only reason he had _ever_ even attempted to seduce Zelena was to get the dagger off her, and when it failed, he stopped instantly and he'd cringed during the entire event. Never let it be said that villains couldn't be loyal. These heroes, with their flights of fancy. Prince Charming had slept with Princess Abigail, Snow White with Dr. Frankenstein, Robin Hood with the Wicked Witch, Red Riding Hood with who knew how many men, all of them heroes in their own right…yet couldn't manage to resist temptation when their hearts belonged to someone else? Even cursed, David and Mary Margaret had felt love for each other...yet slept with other people.

HE had always been loyal to Piper, and her to him.

He felt himself smile as Piper got out of the bug and headed over to him, leaving Regina to deal with Zelena and Emma to reintroduce Lily to her mother.

"She is here," she whispered to him, even as she leaned in to hug Henry, seeming to sense in how the others hadn't even looked his way, that he'd hidden himself in magic, not wanting to risk exposing him despite how badly she wanted to hug him, "Lily, full of the savior's dark impulses, magic, and potential."

"We'll have our ink yet," Gold agreed, letting out a breath of relief at having her back with him, whole and healthy, her and their baby and knowing he would get to hold her in just a short while. For now, just seeing her there, hearing her talk, was enough.

"And then we get to fix grandpa?" Henry asked as Piper pulled away.

"So long as the Author is still alive?" Piper glanced at August for that.

He chuckled, hugging her as well when Henry let her go to rush across the street and hug his mothers too, "So far so good," he nodded, "A few close calls," he admitted, "The guy's more than a little irritating."

Piper shook her head at that, hearing a subtle hint in August's voice that it wasn't _just_ Gold that had been tempted to end the man's existence. She looked over her shoulder at the reunion going on behind her, unable to help the pleased smirk on her face when she saw Emma ignore Mary Margaret's attempt to welcome her back in favor of leading Lily to Maleficent.

It served the woman right.

~8~

"And this is everything?" Piper eyed the meager stack of books on the counter of Gold's shop, Isaac standing before her as Gold rested on a chair nearby, Henry was with Emma and Regina while August had gone with Gepetto, Piper insisting she could care for Gold in the meantime. The heroes would be too caught up in Emma's return and watching Lily and Maleficent in case they plotted revenge to worry about them.

"Everything on blood magic, yes," Isaac nodded, "We've gone through it all already," he added, "There's nothing in here that says anything about _how_ the blood needs to be taken."

Piper nodded, that had been something concerning Gold when she had left with Emma, if there had to be any special way to extract Lily's blood or if there had to be a ritual to ensure a sample of it was seeped in the dark potential of the savior. It should be automatic, they reasoned, but they had never dealt with a dragon, another inherently dark creature, that also possessed the darkness of a savior. They had to ensure that the blood would contain Emma's potential, that it wouldn't be influenced by the darkness already in Lily from being a dragon.

It didn't appear that there was anything of the sort though, the magic had infused with Lily, which meant every and any part of her at any time contained Emma's dark potential.

"And, can I just say," Isaac began to smile, "It's very ingenious, how you two worked out to use Lily instead of Emma."

It nearly irritated her that Isaac had been told their plan instead of allowing him to continue under the assumption that their plan had been to corrupt Emma all along. The less people that knew their true purpose, the less people there would be to influence Mary Margaret. The less people that knew, the less people there would be guarding Lily when the time came for a sample of her blood. While she was not thrilled with people thinking she would actually harm her niece, it DID keep the focus on Emma instead of their true target.

"Rummy?" she called instead, having looked up to see him hunching over on his chair, panting. He had kept a good front around Henry and August, not allowing them to see how he was struggling, not wanting to...to worry them, but with her, in private, he wasn't so, because he knew she could and would tell, she knew him that deeply that he didn't doubt she could tell the differences in how he was feeling just from the different sounds he made when he breathed. She quickly made her way to his side, kneeling before him, her hand on his shoulder, "What is it?"

Gold just winced and reached into his chest, pulling his heart out with a grunt. It was blacker than she remembered, the faintest of red was darkening.

He closed his eyes at the sight, "I'm sorry Pip," he murmured, "We don't have much time."

She reached up to touch his face, making him open his eyes to look at her, "All shall be well," she reassured him, she wasn't one to hope, that was Snow White's forte, but she was smart and she knew that when the two of them planned something out, it often worked, "I _know_ you, Rummy, whether your heart is black as night or glowing brighter than the sun, I love you and you love me."

He tried to smile at that, "We don't know what will happen."

That was his biggest concern. When his heart was entirely consumed by the darkness the Dagger had protected it from, would he truly die? Or would he be taken over by the full essence of the Darkness? If he died, would Piper die with him? If he lived on but possessed by the Dark, what would happen to her?

"My darkness…"

"Loves me too," Piper stated, with such certainty that Gold _nearly_ believed her though he knew it was impossible a thing to know that surely, "Darkness calls to darkness," she reminded him, "Your darkness will sense the same in me," she moved her other hand to his free one, taking it and placing it on her stomach, "It will sense itself…"

"And after?" he shook his head, even if his darkness wouldn't harm her for the sake of the child that carried the same darkness inside her, it said nothing for after, "If we fail, after the child comes, will you still be safe?"

Piper was silent only a moment, unable to answer that. They had _no_ idea how the darkness in him would truly react to her without him and his feelings there to filter it. Would it see her as too human? Would it accept her as its mate as she had Gold? There was no telling.

"Your darkness has always made me feel safe," was all she could offer, "Not just the darkness in Rumpelstiltskin, but that of the Dark One itself. I do not fear it would harm me."

He let out a breath at that, nodding his head, _clinging_ to that hope. If he knew, with absolute certainty, that his heart's poisoning and blackening would not kill Piper in the end, he would almost be ok with dying, if it meant she lived, if it meant she was protected.

"But it would harm everyone else," he had to remind the both of them.

That was another reason, beyond them not wanting him to die period, to try and save his heart. The darkness in him, it might accept Piper, their child, but it would _never_ anyone else. And anyone that dared threaten her, whether they were family or not, would feel its wrath and power and devastation. There would be no controlling it, it would be primal and instinctual, he knew that much. There was _nothing_ that would keep Henry or Emma or August or little Neal safe from the true Dark One.

And his greatest fear would be Piper's instinct to protect them, to fight for them. If she put herself in the way of the darkness, if she attacked it, it WOULD fight her back, no matter what.

They needed to cure his heart, and they needed to do it _soon_. They had lost more time than they anticipated with her trip.

He hadn't anticipated what his reaction would be to her leaving with Emma. He had been fairly well before she'd gone, well enough at least. But once she crossed the line…it was like his soul had torn in half. His heart, which had been in her chest for so long, seemed to sense that she had departed where it couldn't connect to her, the strain of it had weakened him even more. He had _refused_ to tell her that was the cause when she returned to find him worse off, but she had pried it out of August instead. The boy, for how much of a liar he was to everyone else, couldn't manage even the tiniest fib against his mother, let alone ask him to keep something like THAT from her.

"We will reverse this, Rummy," she promised him, "We have the Author, we have the quill…"

"We just need the ink," Isaac agreed, having listened to their entire conversation, not that he could help it, they were only 5 feet away from him.

"We just need Lily."

" _Lily_?"

So focused had Piper been on Gold, that she truly hadn't realized or heard the song that had joined them, hadn't heard the jingling of the bell above the shop door, as Regina entered.

"What are you doing here?" Isaac gasped, jumping back with his hand over his heart, not seeming to have heard either.

"What do you want?" Gold strained, pushing his heart back into his chest, but it was too late, Regina had seen it.

"I want the Author," she stated, "Finding him was _my_ idea before you stole it. And what's wrong with your heart?" she took a step closer, but Piper stood and moved into her way, crossing her arms as if challenging her to dare come closer, "Ooh…" Regina started to grin, "It's finally happening!"

"No need to sound so pleased," Piper sneered at her, "Or have you forgotten the dark deeds YOU have done?" Regina glared at her, "Your heart will meet its end one day too from the poison of your past."

"Says the Siren," Regina mirrored her, crossing her own arms, "Tell me, how many people have YOU murdered in your life? Should we start count with my mother?"

"Ooh, but my dear, dear Queen," Piper smirked, "Darkness feeds my heart, the more blood on my hands the more content the creature in me is," she taunted, "My largest regret was that you killed your father before I could. Though I do applaud you for finding your bite again, I had thought it gone when you took up the mantle of Snow White's little lapdog."

Regina glared at her for that, "I am not her..." she cut herself off, knowing, just KNOWING, if she opened that can of worms she'd be there forever arguing with the woman, and she didn't have time for that. She dropped her arms in a huff of anger, instead choosing to focus back on the matter at hand, "You said Lily," she repeated, "Not Emma. But Ursula said…"

"You as well as anyone should know villains lie to get what they want," Piper rolled her eyes, dropping her arms and moving her hands behind her, feeling Gold touch her back, so that he might take her hand in his own for strength, "Tell me, Regina, despite what you know of villains, despite the sense that appears to have left you in becoming Snow's apprentice in the realm of heroism, what is the one thing I, as a Siren, could _never_ do to my family?"

"Harm them," Regina stated nearly instantly, her eyes widening as the words caught up with her, "You were never going to turn Emma dark, were you?"

"Rather slow for a queen," Piper remarked dryly, "But, then again, you have been spending ample time with Snow White. Did you not realize that when I stopped her putting a bullet in Lily's head?"

"But the ink," Regina shook her head, "You need the savior… _dark_ ," she made an expression at the last word as though she had been a complete and utter idiot for not realizing something sooner, she really HAD started to think like a hero and just assume the worst of Piper than think like a villain and see the ulterior motive behind her acts, " _Lily_ has the darkness of the savior in her veins."

"And in her blood," Gold agreed, using Piper's hand as leverage to stand though the move surprised her and made her stumble slightly, turning to help steady him in turn, "Which is why we needed to ensure she returned to Storybrooke. My heart…" he winced, "It's _dying_ , and so will my ability to love. And that is bad news for everyone. You _don't_ wanna face the Dark One when there's no one else at home. Not even your beloved Savior could save you from that," he gave Regina a glare, "So I suggest you don't antagonize me."

"I don't really care what you'll be up to," Regina waved it off, "So long as Emma is off the table, for Henry's sake, I don't care what you do or who you need to step on to get to it."

Piper gave a light chuckle at that, " _There_ is the infamous Evil Queen risen from the dead."

Regina just ignored her, "I want that ink too. I need it for my happy ending. There's a…typo that I need to erase, and I need the Author and the ink to do it."

"Zelena," Piper observed, Regina nodded at that. She glanced at Gold a moment and back, "I think there may be a deal to be struck that would benefit both of us."

Regina straightened, "I'm listening."

Piper just smirked.

~8~

It had been far, _far_ too easy to manipulate Regina into getting them what they wanted, in the end. It truly was the mark of a desperate soul to not care about anyone or anything else so long as they got what they desired, and Regina's desire to be rid of her wicked sister was quite strong. A little word here or there and before they knew it, Regina had agreed to get the ink from Lily herself.

The deal was quite simple, really, Regina would be the one to confront Lily and obtain the blood. As a friend of the girl's mother, she would be able to get closer than anyone else even in spite of how she'd essentially double crossed the Queens of Darkness in favor of the heroes. And, if anything negative happened afterwards... _Regina_ would be the one they focused on as the catalyst instead of them. Which was lucky for, as it turned out, Lily could turn into a dragon just as her mother could, and it happened due to the pain of an extremity being sliced open with a knife. Truly, Regina was not the most subtle when she was on a time crunch.

After that, all they had to do was 'loan' the Author to her to deal with Zelena and he would be returned to them, WITH the ink, to accomplish what THEY wanted.

Of course, they _did_ take into account that Regina had turned over a disgusting new leaf in terms of wanting to be a hero. They couldn't be entirely sure that she would actually go through with the part of giving Isaac back, nor even that she'd find it in her to truly erase her sister, such was the hesitation of a hero, so they had instructed him while Regina had been busy hunting down Lily, that he should use the ink to return to them if it appeared Regina was going to turn back on her end of the bargain.

Which she had, the Evil Queen had truly died hadn't she? One brief and shining moment of resurrection...and then nothing.

Regina changed her mind, deciding against erasing Zelena from history, and so Isaac had made his escape with the ink in hand, appearing in the shop once more to inform them of all that had transpired, holding up the small inkwell for the two of the to see as they sat on the floor, Gold leaning against Piper as he struggled to breathe.

"Good," Gold breathed, "Go, write."

"Write on what?" Isaac moved to the counter, the nearest empty spot to work on.

Gold grunted and snapped his finger, making a large book the size and shape of Henry's storybook appear on the counter, but in black leather with white lettering, 'Heroes and Villains' inscribed across the front, Isaac immediately getting to work with the quill and ink.

"Now then," he panted, looking at Piper as she smirked at him, "It's time."

She nodded, "The villains will finally win something."

It truly would be the lesser of two evils, for Gold to have his heart fixed up and protected. No one would want to face the Dark One wandering about in Gold's body. The heroes especially would make an utter mess of it all. They would either attack him as a threat, or try to 'save' him and end up dead by not killing him…as though they'd be able to kill the Darkness. There was only one thing in all the worlds that could effectively destroy that darkness, and no one would have access to it in Storybrooke, it was something she would never breathe a word of to another after Rumpelstiltskin had told her of just how the Dark One's Dagger came to be. She was not going to risk his life or body, especially not after they'd broken the hold the Dagger had on him. If the heroes found out there was something else out there that could hurt him, worse than the Dagger, it would be chaos.

But even so, fixing his heart would mean the Dark One would be back, in all his glory, his heart protected from even more foul and loathsome deeds to come. It would mean that Gold would be powerful and strong once more, and she highly doubted he would be as reserved and contained as he had been in the past when it came to making dark choices and using dark magic, because this time…this time he was going to be a father once more.

And there was nothing more deadly and dangerous than someone protecting their true love and child.

Even the Charmings had proven that, in their willingness to put the lives of numerous people on the line to save each other, to turn to dark magic to protect their child…and THEY were the heroes.

Imagine that drive in the hands of a villain?

Either way, the heroes would not come out victorious, and that…was quite a win for the villains.

~8~

Unfortunately, the joy of upcoming victory was quickly threatened by none other than the heroes, _of course_.

"They are attempting to free the Apprentice?" Piper asked as she looked up at Emma and August as they stood before her and Gold in the shop, Isaac at work still behind the counter.

The two had come there shortly after the dragon that was Lily had been dealt with.

Well, Emma had stormed in while August had tried to calm her down.

As it turned out the heroes and the villains that were desperate to be them, had set Emma off once more, they truly just didn't know when to STOP did they? According to Emma, she had been at the docks, thinking about Lily and herself, what her parents had done, when Hook found her. He'd tried to talk to her, on behalf of her parents or in support of them, to get her to understand their motives and forgive them, to go help them face down Lily as a dragon. Whatever reaction he'd been hoping for in his words, Emma snapping at him for pushing that and storming off hadn't been one of them.

For god's sake, Emma had railed when she got the entire event off her chest, she'd only found out about her parents betrayal barely a week ago! Not even! Just mere days and they expected her to be able to forgive something of that magnitude in four goddamned days?!

Emma had been livid. She'd been rather irate at the expectation of instant forgiveness for something so dark and heinous as what she felt her parents had done had been. Literally they had told her early one night, then she freed the Author that night. The next day was dealing with Regina's revelation about Zelena as Marian and stopping Cruella hurting Henry, the day after that discovering that Lily was Maleficent's daughter and readying to go find her, and by the day after that they'd gotten Lily and brought her back. How the hell did anyone, hero or not, expect someone to forgive what Snow White and Charming had done in mere days?! The absolute expectation her parents had that they should have been forgiven already, coupled with Hook pushing her to do the same, without regard to her needing to process it had disgusted her. She couldn't deal with hearing it from Hook and stormed off, refusing to help her parents deal with the mess THEY had created. It was too like her own situation, someone with magic being unable to practice or even experience it till decades later and having to cope with it when they just came blasting out due to heightened emotions. Her parents created that mess in trying to muzzle a dragon baby in a world without magic, let them deal with the dragon and its mother this time.

August had run into her on his way to the shop. He'd been keeping tabs on the dragon situation, on Lily really, to make sure that the blood had been taken and see whether Lily might direct attention to Regina instead of Piper and Gold. He had been coming to tell them that Lily was back to normal, but that they also knew Regina had gotten the blood to make the Author use it on Zelena...that now they probably knew, through Regina herself, that he'd now disappeared back to them and was likely writing away whatever changes he was going to make. He'd tried his best to calm Emma down about the situation on the way, not daring to tell her Hook was right to ask her to forgive her parents, because he didn't think they deserved it either. But Emma had been too worked up to listen.

It hadn't been till Henry had texted her and she'd read his message that her anger at her parents had gone out the window in order to focus on the events now unfolding.

"Yeah," Emma nodded, her arms crossed as she shifted back and forth on her feet, thinking of the message. Henry had gone with the heroes as they attempted to find a way to stop Isaac by looking for clues in the Sorcerer's mansion, as the resident expert on said mansion, though he was acting more as a spy than anything. She was sure her parents were just LOVING that Henry had 'seen the light' and 'made the right choice' to help them.

He had informed them that the others had gathered, trying to look for clues in the blank books stored in the mansion about what Isaac might write, but had stopped when they came across a book of sketches for the different fairytale characters. One was of the Apprentice, a man that Hook recognized and informed them of his whereabouts, trapped in the Sorcerer's Hat. He had quickly texted his other mother about it, warning her that the heroes had gone to the Blue Fairy to try and release the Apprentice to help them stop Isaac.

She had immediately passed on the message, not even making a move to leave the shop and help the heroes in their new quest either. She actually _wanted_ to see Gold healed as much as Piper did.

"And it looks like they might succeed," August warned.

"Are you, uh, close?" Gold called to the Author, knowing that the man should be finishing up their agreed upon changes soon.

"Hang in there, Dark One," he nodded, not ceasing to write, "Don't let that heart turn to coal just yet. You'll be fine. Better than ever."

"Why help me?" Gold had to ask, wincing as he tried to sit up more, clutching his chest as even that took enormous effort and energy, "You have the quill now. You don't need me or Pip anymore."

Isaac glanced up to see the others looking at him too, shrugging as he focused back on the book, not about to say that, even with Gold in crippling pain, Piper was still an enormous threat...as was the added fact that two other people were there that could clearly take him out as well. Piper was, admittedly, more focused on Gold the weaker he got, and he knew Emma and August would HAVE to leave soon or else risk being spotted by other townspeople 'helping' the villains, but still, for now, he could at least give another excuse, "We're a lot alike. We've both struggled mightily for happiness all our lives, you and Piper have," he mused, "Two peas in a pod. You got power, embraced it, to become the Dark One and the Pied Piper, but you've never been the content ones," he knew that much, both of them had always had something else they wanted too. The Dark One wanted his son back, the Piper had wanted her cousin safe and back in her life, neither had gotten what they wanted till it was too late, and even when they got it, it still wasn't right, "I know what that's like," he sighed, "To always have dissatisfaction gnawing at you, watching other people's happiness bloom. It's time for a new world where villains can have happy endings."

"Not at the risk of the heroes though, right?" Emma wanted to make sure, giving Gold another chance at his heart healing would be one thing, but reversing everything to make the heroes miserable wasn't what she signed up for.

"Some will change if certain events are different," Isaac stated diplomatically, not hiding the fact that he did intend to change somethings, the Dark One had a lot of darkness to sort through and try to fix, somethings were too deeply rooted in his heart to not change the story about, "It's in the nature of a ripple effect," he glanced at her, "But I can say that most won't be drastically altered."

Emma nodded slowly at that, feeling like he was more trying to reassure that HER past and her family wouldn't change…which did make sense, he was there to help Gold and Piper too. But still, something felt off about this just a little...

"And uh, what does YOUR ending look like?" August eyed the man, suspicious, he could tell Isaac wasn't telling the whole truth, "Being king of the castle somewhere? Being rich and famous?"

"Bingo," Isaac pointed the quill at him a moment and kept writing, "I'd rather avoid the dysentery and 40-year life expectancy. Room service and indoor plumbing is more my style. You all enjoy your happy ending in your land, I'll take one in mine. And we'll all get what we want in just a moment."

"Hold on, 'in your land?'" Emma frowned, "You're sending us back to the Enchanted Forest?"

Isaac sighed, "It's where the story began," he explained, "It's where the magic is strongest. I can only do so much in this little pocket town even with a magic quill. You'll need to be somewhere that's more connected to the Dark One and magic than here."

Emma glanced at Piper for that, the woman giving her a resigned look as though she hadn't been happy about that either, but it had to be done. It did make sense though, Storybrooke was unique, but it was just created by magic, a place where it could exist, it wasn't originally magical at all so it stood to reason that the Forest would be needed to make the magic actually work and work well.

Piper gave Gold a gentle squeeze on the arm before she stood, "Come on," she gestured to Emma and August, "You two need to be far from here when the book is finished," she warned, "The last thing you shall want is other heroes seeing you associating with and helping the villains before a plot unfolds. Savior or not, they will turn on you instantly."

Emma nearly chuckled at that, but managed a wry smile, "Still trying to protect me."

"Always," Piper nodded, "The both of you," she added to August, "Now go. Find somewhere stable to wait it out."

Gold glanced over, watching as Piper stepped out of the doors to finish speaking to Emma and August, before he turned to Isaac, "Any particular reason you've stopped writing?" he demanded weakly, having seen the man pause the moment the door closed.

Isaac flushed, "Um, there's uh, just two more small details," he glanced at Gold, "Your son, Baelfire…"

Gold shook his head, "Don't toy with me, scribe. Magic can't bring back the dead."

"No, it can't," he agreed, "This quill and ink can only change a past it has created, which is why I must write your new story from this moment forward and into the future. But, in your new life, I can make you forget him."

"No, never. I want my memories of him," he glanced out the window, seeing Piper hugging August, the man smiling at her and his heart pinged painfully at the look of love in the young man's eyes for his mother, something he could rarely recall with his own son, "But, maybe with a…slight adjustment. I would like a world where I remember doing right by my boy. Where he may be gone, but I can live with that loss. Where Bae sees me as a hero right at the end."

Isaac smiled, "I think I can do that," he agreed, "And the last detail," he glanced at the window quickly, "Piper…Snow White and…and that whole mess. Should I carry that over or…"

"I want Pip to be as happy as possible," was all Gold could get out before the pain in his chest tripled, causing him to start wheezing.

It was almost as though Piper could sense it, for she entered only a moment later, hurrying to his side, "Isaac!" she snapped.

"Right," he shook himself, quickly writing in the last details, "Time to finish," he muttered, writing faster as he heard Gold starting to gasp for air, "And…The End!"

Piper looked over at the words, seeing Isaac grinning proudly at the book just as a blue light blasted out of it, smoke rippling from it as the room began to shake, the light filling everywhere till it was too bright to look at any longer, consuming them and the town together…

A/N: Small warning for the next chapter, since the majority of the next episode takes place in the Enchanted Forest as a sort of AU 'flashback,' there won't be another flashback chapter. Instead, the next one will be the last of the story, featuring Operation Mongoose in its entirety ;) I can say, you may be surprised with the Piper we see next }:) But I can say there was a tiny foreshadowing of what might come earlier in the story, I won't say where though till after the next chapter's posted ;)

This chapter though, imagining this episode with Piper's influence, it made me really excited for the AU where she raises Emma...for a reason I can't say without spoiling it, and it's killing me lol :)

Also for this chapter, I hope you liked that Emma hasn't forgiven Snow yet. Unlike in the episode, I couldn't see Emma, here, forgiving her that easily and just from a few words from Hook :/ I feel like, with how the show portrays time, how quickly events seem to move, lots of them happening in the same day, it couldn't be more than a week that Emma's known about what Snowing did to Lily, and it doesn't seem like something you can really forgive someone for in such a short amount of time. The fact that Emma hasn't forgiven them will be very important in later parts of the story though ;)

Some notes on reviews...

Oh Piper can hold a grudge worse than Regina }:) She will not be forgiving her cousin any time soon, and even if she gets revenge against her for the pain, that doesn't mean instant forgiveness from her either ;)

I'm not quite sure Piper would go so far as killing Snow and Charming in the AU world, only because of what she said to Lily, they wouldn't suffer nearly as much as they should if they were just killed ;) I can say there will be a TLK in the AU, and some sort of magic will break, but I can't say whose kiss it is or what magic is broken from it ;) But that's ok, babble away! I love that the stories give people ideas and theories about what's coming :')

I hope the week gets better for you! I definitely understand things just continuously coming up and bringing you down so I hope it gets better! :)

Aww thanks! :) I'm really glad you enjoyed the last chapter :') I really tried to touch on the different subjects and keep the perspective of Rose as a younger her, not knowing what lies ahead or how her POV would change as things went on :') I can say in the AU, Piper will be much more a mediator role, having raised two children, she'll be an expert at resolving conflict and knowing exactly what words to say or even looks to give to get them to stop or change their minds. Lol, now I'm picturing Emma with her arms crossed and glaring at Piper and she just gives Emma _that look_ that mothers give like 'Go ahead, try that attitude me, I dare you' and Emma just huffs like 'Fine!' and gives in lol :) I would have been very ok with that sort of backstory for Pongo and his old owners, but then again, I'm a sucker for puppies too lol :) I think that's a very interesting pairing, I love Hiccup and HTTYD, though now I'm more picturing Maleficent and Lily's reaction to people that might want to ride them like a horse and then Hiccup's reaction to dragons that can turn into people...and now I'm picturing Toothless as a person :) I think they'd be a little wary of people that can 'control' dragons, but Hiccup is such a lovable guy I think he'd get them to warm up to him :) I got the picture and I thought it was lovely :) I think Henry would definitely incorporate some sort of red for his mothers and maybe a greyish color since one mother is dark and one is light and that sort of makes him almost grey and the in-between also in being the son of the Savior and the Dark One's son too :)


	39. Operation Mongoose: Part 1 & 2

Operation Mongoose: Part 1 & 2

Snow White hummed lightly to herself as she stood in the garden of a castle that had been home to her for years now, not even minding the staining happening to the bottom of her white gown from the grass she was stepping on. She was too happy, too bubbling with joy, to mind anything that day, not even the early hour she'd risen in to get her work done. Dawn had just begun yet there she was, tending the flowers with a wide grin, and how could she be anything less than thrilled?! It was such an exciting day it made her infinitely happy. As was her current task, however small it might be.

There were only two sets of a specific bush growing in the garden of the castle, two bushes that had been requested so many years ago and that had grown large and full over time with careful care. She had debated whether to pluck the white variety of flower growing before her, after all it would fit the theme of the day so much better, but, well, the red really would make the day that much more special.

And she wanted it to be perfect, the small bundle of flowers she was gathering, she had so little she could offer now, but she could make this small gift. She just wanted it to be absolutely perfect for…

"Whatever are you doing up so early?" a voice said behind her.

Snow White nearly squealed despite being 30 years of age as she spun around, beaming when she saw her cousin standing behind her, "Rose!" she cheered, rushing to the older woman and hugging her tightly.

Cousin was…not quite the word she would use to define what she and Rose Red were to each other. Yes, cousins by blood, their fathers were brothers after all. But Rose was so much more than that to her. When her mother, the late Queen Eva, had passed, Rose had truly become like a mother figure to her, especially after her soon-to-be step-mother, a lovely woman named Regina, had disappeared the night before her wedding was to take place.

Rose was older than her by 14 years, and like her, she had lost her mother as well, though not quite as young as she herself had. While Eva had passed when she was a mere 10, Rose's mother had lasted a handful of years after that, Rose well into adulthood. It had devastated Rose, as well as her father, King Ethan, to lose her mother Ilayda, it had hurt even more because she knew that Sirens had a special method of tending their dead, a special ceremony that no one would be able to replicate for the late Queen despite how Ethan had tried.

Ilayda had been a Siren, but her daughter hadn't inherited anything of that, no magic, no music, nothing but a similar coloring to her mother, blonde hair, pale skin, tall and lean, but her eyes were the same green that all the men in their family had, the same green eyes that she herself had.

They had buried the queen in the family mausoleum and hoped that it would be good enough for such a wonderful woman. She wasn't lonely there, for only a few days later, Ethan too had passed of a broken heart. It had nearly crippled Rose to have to endure the loss of her father and mother so close to each other, but she had a responsibility to her people, to rule, and had picked herself up and done what had to be done, become Queen in her father's place.

When her own mother, Queen Eva, had passed, Rose had been there for her, as had Ilayda, but she had always been closer to her cousin than her aunt. Rose had stayed with her, helping her uncle with his daughter, helping the two grieving individuals, for three years, until it appeared that he might marry anew. Rose had been very vocal about her disgust at his next wife being only 18 years old, only 5 years older than his daughter and not even 10 years younger than his niece. Rose had been a staunch opponent of Leopold marrying Regina, and she had quarreled with her cousin most heatedly about it, had accused her of terrible things, like wanting her to be miserable and wanting to be the only one of the two of them to have a mother.

When Regina had disappeared, fingers had turned to Rose, that she had something to do with the girl's escape, but there was no evidence. Leopold had looked for his bride-to-be for only a few months, before he realized that he truly _was_ marrying the woman for the wrong reasons. He wanted to give his daughter a mother instead of because he loved her, and how would that set a good example for his daughter, to not marry for love? Eventually he had called off the search but there had been no more news of Regina since.

Snow had taken longer to get over the loss, but with time she had realized that wanting a mother was not a good enough reason to condemn someone to something as lasting as marriage when there was no love between the two marrying. She had apologized to her cousin for her words, and they had grown into more of a sisterly bond as she grew older.

Rose was everything to her, especially after her father had passed in his sleep mere days before Rose's own parents had passed, which had been a blessing to Snow for a short time. She was of age, 21, when her father passed, which meant she could take the throne herself instead of needing a regent, not that anyone thought her cousin, serving as regent would take advantage of her, but it was better for Snow to take it herself and on her own. It had truly proven how close their little family was when the two brothers passed within a week of each other, despite how it had devastated their daughters, but they made due, honoring their fathers and trying to rule well.

Sadly, one reign came to an abrupt and sorrowful end.

Only 4 years after King Leopold had died, Snow White met a man that she knew in her heart was her true love, a simple shepherd from the country, a boy who bore a striking resemblance to Prince James, son of King Spencer, though both prince and King denied any connection between the two most vehemently. Luckily for Snow, despite his similar appearance to the prince, the shepherd, David, was nothing like the man. Snow had been riding in the woods when her horse had thrown a shoe and had stumbled upon the small cottage and farmland of David and his kind mother. The two had been smitten from first sight and married shortly after.

And therein was the problem.

Snow, as the last heir to Leopold's realm, had a responsibility to wed and produce an heir, but more than that, she was meant to wed a prince, not a shepherd. Her council warned her against it, but she had insisted on marrying the man, citing her father's lesson to marry for love. She had even gone so far, in her anger at what the council, men she had trusted, were suggesting, that she had declared she would rather renounce her crown than marry someone she didn't love. It should have been a testament to her strength, to her will and to her heart...but it had not gone well at all.

The people had revolted, had been outraged that their Queen would be so willing to give up her title and place, that she would turn her back on them so easily for one person. Wasn't the Queen meant to put her kingdom first? Were her people supposed to come above and before anything else? Yet she had been so ready and willing to abandon them for a Shepherd!

Snow had been dethroned as a result.

If the Queen did not want to rule any longer, then do not let her, was the rationale it seemed.

She had fled as her castle was attacked by the people, she and David barely escaping with their lives and fleeing to Rose Red for protection. Rose had taken them in, of course, had provided for them since, food and shelter and clothing, protection. She had come to rely on her cousin for everything after that night. She could still recall how Rose had been willing to go to war, to arrest and punish the people for their actions, but Snow, in her infinite goodness, had begged her cousin not to, to forgive the people as she had. She understood their feeling of betrayal, she had deserved the consequence of their reaction to her words, had declared that she would be Queen no longer if that was what the people truly wanted.

But she had also begged her cousin to watch over her people for her. It was, after all, a part of Rose's kingdom now too. The lands that their fathers had ruled were the result of two kingdoms joining together and when they produced two male heirs, it made sense to allow one to rule one kingdom and the other the next. Now that one kingdom was without rightful heir, it had been integrated back into the original kingdom. Rose Red was declared Queen of two kingdoms.

The people hadn't been happy with that turn of events, but they knew that those of Rose's kingdom favored their queen and no coup or dethroning would happen against her, even with the traitor Snow White seeking asylum there.

Rose had never thought her cousin, so beloved by her people, would be so despised by them merely for the sake of love, but she would protect her cousin with all she had, as she had done her entire life. She hoped, very dearly, that Snow and David would produce a child soon, so that she might declare it heir to Snow's Kingdom as was right, and then declare any child she might have herself the heir to her own.

"You seemed very deeply in thought, Frosty," Rose teased as she pulled away from her cousin's bear hug, snapping herself out of her thoughts as well.

Snow rolled her eyes, "I was making you a gift, Rosie," she shot right back, using nicknames that she knew would irritate her cousin just as 'Frosty' irritated her. She held up the small gathering of red roses she had in her hand, "For your wedding."

THAT was what had her enormously excited, so focused on the red rose bush that she hadn't heard her cousin approach, her cousin was getting MARRIED.

For as long as she could remember, Rose has always been hesitant around men, not wanting to be taken advantage of by those seeking her throne instead of her heart. She guarded it fiercely, so much so that many had feared she wouldn't ever wed. She was past 40 now, almost beyond child bearing years, and had yet to wed.

And then the most amazing thing had happened, five years ago she had met a man that had won her heart. No one had known at all that she'd been courting him, or that he had been courting her. Rose had insisted on secrecy, had wanted her cousin to be secure and loved first, wed and ready for children, before she even considered allowing herself the same happiness. Rose was selfless like that, always looking out for her cousin above herself from the moment the girl had been born.

The first time Snow had even met the man had been at her own wedding, when Rose had appeared with the one person no one had ever thought possible.

Rumpelstiltskin, the Light One, the greatest sorcerer of light magic in the land.

It made sense though, to her at least, if there was one person that would ever be good enough for her cousin, that she would trust with her heart, it would be the paragon of good. She trusted him to be a good person, pure of heart, strong and powerful enough to keep her cousin safe, and in love with her as deeply as Rose was him, someone that would endeavor to see her happy.

It had brought tears to her eyes when she had finally seen her cousin smile, seen her interact with a man that clearly meant much to her. And it had truly made her cry when they had told her how they even met. She had gone to Rumpelstiltskin to make a deal, for her cousin, to help her find her true love. She had had nothing to offer that would matter to the man, he had magic and power and riches and what could she offer him that would earn his help. He was a good man, yes, he would help anyone that needed it, he was a true knight of the realm, a hero, but she was not one to accept charity. If he was going to help her, she was going to find some way to repay him.

Her company had not been what she had expected him to request of her at all. But he had explained that, despite being the Light One, it was a lonely existence. He had been alone for 300 years, never wanting to get close to anyone, especially not since his son had died, not wanting to risk them growing old while he stayed ageless. But he was tired of that, he was tired of people coming to him for something or wanting help without thinking of offering something in return. He always did help, he couldn't abide seeing others suffer, but so many hardly seemed to think of that, of how they took advantage of his kindness and good heart. He didn't fault them, desperation made people eager for help that they so little thought of those that had helped them.

She had been the first person to insist that he ask for something from her in exchange for help in…more years than he wanted to remember.

It had sparked something in him, this woman that was so different that she didn't just expect him to help her nor wanted him to do it for nothing at all. It had endeared her to him all the more that she had come to him for help in a selfless reason, to see her cousin happy instead of some material thing or magical cure to an illness. She was the first person in decades that he found he _wanted_ to get to know, to spend more time around.

And so they had, he would visit her at her castle as often as he liked, they would talk. Sometimes he would take her with him on quests or to show her the beauty of other lands whenever she wouldn't be missed by her kingdom or council. They helped each other, they healed each other of the hurts they hadn't even realized they'd been feeling. And it had blossomed into something beautiful, the connection they shared was just lovely and heartwarming and everything Snow had wanted for her cousin. To find that Rose and Rumpelstiltskin had had a hand in bringing her and David together had been something she would always treasure despite what she might have lost in choosing her true love over her kingdom, it was worth it.

It had taken Rumpelstiltskin a longer time to find David than it should have, given his powers, and the reason for it was just adorable in Snow's eyes, so much so that she couldn't even find it in her to be angry with him for purposefully delaying finding her true love. He had been frightened that, once he found the then-Queen's True Love, that her cousin would cease to spend time with him. That had been their agreement, her company for his help finding her cousin's true love. What would happen when he DID find the man? Would Rose stop speaking to him? Discard him? At first it truly had been that he had had more pressing issues, Ogre Wars and plagues and dangerous magical artifacts to deal with, something about a green woman terrorizing a far away land, that had taken his time away from finding a single man for a Queen. But after he spent more and more time with Rose, Rose not even hounding him about if he was even looking for David but trusting him, he had begun to love her dearly. He had truly been fearful that their relationship would end if he found David.

But he had made a deal and he always kept his end of a bargain, so he had picked himself up by his bootstraps and found the shepherd…and been overjoyed when, instead of leaving him, Rose had kissed him soundly for it.

Had Rumpelstiltskin known that Rose had been waiting for her cousin to find a true love before she could admit her own growing feelings for the Light One, she was ever so sure that the man would have found David instantly so that he wouldn't have wasted so much time. But the way it happened was sweet and perfect and she wouldn't change a thing about it.

It had been the talk of the kingdoms since they had come out together and now they were FINALLY getting married!

Today!

She couldn't wait to see her cousin married to her true love, it was something she had been waiting for since forever.

"Are you excited?" Snow beamed at her.

"Very much so," Rose smiled, "I cannot wait to call Rummy my husband."

Snow nearly snorted at that, no one in all the realms but her cousin would get away with calling the Light One 'Rummy.' But that was alright, no one but Rumpelstiltskin could get away with call her 'his flower,' not even her. Normally Rose hated when people called her a flower, despite her name, because too many people had 'complimented' her on being as delicate as a flower or as lovely as a flower or so many other things that she had come to hate the use of it. But when Rumpelstiltskin said it, she knew it was with love, it was his way of calling her beautiful constantly.

"Nor you my wife," another voice spoke behind them, "My flower."

Rose turned, her smile softening with love as she looked upon her soon-to-be husband, standing before her in his golden, shining armor, "Rummy," but her expression grew more serious when she caught the concerned glint in his eyes, "What is it?"

He sighed, "There is a man in the throne room," he informed them, "Here for you, Snow White," he glanced at her

Snow frowned at that, since she had been deposed, no one came to see her or speak to her, not even other royals that she had considered friends, "Has he said why?"

Rumpelstiltskin nodded, "He claims to have word of Regina."

Snow gasped, a hand flying to her mouth. Even though her father had stopped the manhunt for his wayward fiancé, she had never given up at least putting a word out for information on her, at least while she had been Queen though Rose had continued to keep ears out for word of the woman for her sake. She didn't want the woman to come back to the kingdom if she didn't want to, she had learned her lesson in that. But her father was dead and Regina had seemed so kind and she was SO worried about her. She just wanted to know if Regina was ok, if she was even alive, she just wanted to apologize, she wanted to be forgiven for the mess she'd made of her life. She couldn't help but feel like it was all her fault that Regina had fled to a life unknown. Truly they didn't know if she was in another kingdom or what she was doing for livelihood or if she'd even found happiness elsewhere. She just wanted to know the woman was alright.

Rose straightened at that, drawing herself to her full height as she put her arm around Snow, "Are you certain his knowledge is truth?"

He nodded slowly, "I sense no falsehood off him."

Snow White nodded, glancing at her cousin for permission as was proper since this was NOT her kingdom and she had no right to call court any longer, "Rose?"

Rose gave a gentle nod, "If you wish, Snow."

Snow took a breath at that, reaching out, gripping Rose's hand as they headed off to the throne room, not even noticing the small, loving kiss that Rumpelstiltskin bestowed upon her cousin's hand as she passed him, the man walking behind them.

~8~

It almost appeared as though court had been called in the throne room, had it not been for the lack of a crowd. All the most important people to Snow White were gathered there as they knew how important word of Regina was and, to be honest, they had not heard tell of the woman in a very long time. Seven Dwarves that had run into her and Charming during their escape to Rose and had helped them were there, as was an old woman and her young granddaughter, two who had been brought to trial for wolf attacks and pardoned by Snow White due to it being a misfortune of birth as a werewolf instead of malicious will; they had heard of the anger in the villages and come to warn Snow and David of the coming attack. David, of course, was standing just beside the thrones, staring at his wife as she approached, his entire focus on her and if she was alright, understanding that she was still very attached and concerned about Regina.

The man that had summoned Snow White was there as well, standing in the middle of the room, but his gaze was locked on someone he seemed entirely too shocked to see before him.

There were only two other people there waiting for Snow to arrive with Rose and Rumpelstiltskin, one was a blonde woman in a long blue gown…who was glaring at the man with venom in her eyes.

"Emma?" Rose called as they entered the room, seeing the woman staring down the pale man, "Are you well?"

Emma. Emma Swan. She was an enigma, someone they were sure shouldn't exist, but somehow she did. It had been only a few weeks ago that they had been gathered for a small picnic near a lovely (siren-free) lake when a storm had suddenly appeared along with a swirling portal that had opened up above the waters. A blur of yellow and red fell out of it, right into the lake.

Had it not been for the instant reaction of Rose's Captain of the Guard, Killian Jones, the second person in the room with them all, who had accompanied them as escort, jumping into the water and swimming to the fallen woman, she would have died.

She had revealed her name was Emma Swan. That had been all for a long while. She had tried not to say more, but she so clearly wanted them to trust her that she had let slip a few details.

She was from the future, according to her, which might be the truth as neither Rumpelstiltskin nor Rose had sensed any lie on her. She said that she had been sent through a time portal to the past, to prevent a great tragedy. But she couldn't say more than that as even a small detail change in her being there could alter the future more than it should be. She was to be as silent and invisible as possible, not mentioned nor talked about to any outside the group that had seen her appear, almost like a ghost.

They had, of course, assigned Captain Jones to be her personal guard, despite his protests of having to much to do and see to to babysit some wayward blonde. But they weren't completely naïve as to let her roam around without someone watching, they knew she wasn't lying but she wasn't telling the full truth either, so they wanted to watch her. It hadn't been till Red Riding Hood had spoken to him in private to...persuade him...that he'd given in and agreed without fuss. Such was the ways of a woman when dealing with the man courting her, she had Captain Jones wrapped around her finger in a way that almost seemed to pain Emma. But Rose had forced herself not to speak of what she noticed in Emma's face when Captain Jones and Red were together, she was intent to see Emma as merely someone to be watched. Though it was difficult to do when Snow and David were both lobbying that Jones should be a guard as well as a spy and keep her safe. They just couldn't help but want the girl safe. They didn't know why but looking at her, something tugged at their hearts and there was an almost instinctive need to keep her from harm.

Emma had seemed wary of them, more so than the others, seemed to gravitate towards spending time around Rumpelstiltskin and Rose than the two that had argued for her safety. They just assumed that, in Emma's future, she was close to them and that was fine. She asked them odd questions though, something about a wooden boy called Harry or Henry or other such nonsense, but she quickly stopped when she seemed to realize they had no idea what she was talking about.

She seemed very, _very_ angry about it, though she never said why.

They had done as requested, made no mention of her to anyone outside the group that had been there when she'd fallen. So it was odd to Rose that the man that summoned them seemed to be looking at Emma as though she couldn't possibly be there, as though HE recognized her. Emma, for her part, was showing equal signs as she glared at him, though she noted it was the same look she had gotten when they had shook off her questions about the wooden Henry boy.

"I'm fine," was Emma's curt reply.

"You," Snow called, reaching David and taking his hand, turning to face the man that had been brought in as Rose and Rumpelstiltskin moved to her left, Rose taking her place on her throne as the Light One stood beside it, resting an arm on it in support, "You know something about Regina?"

"We found him in the Queen's Woods, Snow," the grumpy dwarf stepped forward, "With this," he offered her what looked to be a pin with paper encased in an odd glass disc, the words 'Long Live Regina' written on it.

"Regina…" Snow breathed, looking up at the man, "What's your name?"

"I…Isaac, ma'am," the man stuttered, still looking at Emma, growing paler the longer Emma glared at him.

"And you know Regina?" Snow sounded so hopeful that Rose winced when Isaac spoke again.

"Not exactly," he admitted, flinching as he looked back at Snow White's crumpling face, "But um…I can tell you that she is in danger."

"How do you know this?" David asked this time, his arms going around Snow in support as she trembled at the thought of Regina being in danger.

"A magical book told me everything about this land and the events to come," Isaac informed, "There is a boy, he's just arrived through a portal. He fancies himself a hero but his presence will mean Regina's end. Somebody has to stop him before he finds her."

Rose frowned at that information and looked at Emma, "Through a portal, you say?"

Emma glanced at her, noticing the implication, the question of whether this was the great evil she had claimed she was sent back to stop, and back to Isaac as the man took a step forward, nodding, "Yes. His name is Henry."

"Henry?" Rumpelstiltskin blinked at that, "I saved a young man named Henry from an Ogre," he remarked thoughtful, "He did not seem a threat then."

"I can assure you he is very much a threat," Isaac insisted, "He will destroy _everything_ ," he looked at Snow White who had grown more distressed, "He'll be the cause for Regina's death."

"We have to find him," Snow turned to Rose, a plea in her voice, knowing she had no power any longer to command troops or guards, but Rose did, "We need to find him and…and bring him here, keep him away from Regina and…"

"I'll go," Emma stepped up, her voice hard and cold, though Rose noted she appeared to be directing it more at Isaac than the situation, "It's what I did, back home, I found people."

"Would you?" Snow breathed, relieved.

"I um, I don't think that's wise," Isaac cut in, nearly smirking when he saw them all look over at him, "You shouldn't trust her with him."

"And why not?" David frowned.

Isaac's smirk grew far too pleased, "She's his mother."

~8~

Henry was nearly out of breath as he ran through a small village in the Enchanted Forest. If he had known it was going to be that hard to keep up with a running horse, he would have found one of his own…or tried to bring his bike along for his trip there. Not that he had planned the trip into Isaac's new book, 'Heroes and Villains,' but hindsight was 20/20.

Oh he'd had the most insane day of his life, topping nearly dying from a poisoned apple and breaking a curse on a town. He had woken up in Storybrooke just after the Author's magic had struck…and been very alarmed to find that he was alone and the town was abandoned. That wasn't right, it _couldn't_ be right! The Author was meant to help give Gold's heart a boost and cure it, not…not whatever had happened. He'd felt so angry after the concern for where everyone was had worn off. Because he could guess what happened, he was a smart kid and he knew enough about magic that it didn't take a genius to work out really.

Isaac had double crossed them, he'd done something more in the book than just fix Gold's heart. And he doubted very much that the man had told Piper or Gold about it, they NEVER would have gone through with a plan like this if they had known that he would be abandoned during it. Piper especially would have killed the Author for leaving him behind had she known he would be. He didn't blame them for not knowing though, they both had way, WAY too much on their plate with Gold's heart dying in his chest. The last he heard from Emma as she and August had headed off from the shop, Gold was in a very bad way, the last few seconds of his heart beating before the magic struck up. With the stress Piper was under and the pain Gold was in, it was understandable that something had slipped by.

They were the experts on desperation, and he knew that a situation like that would make even the Dark One and Pied Piper desperate enough to miss something.

And he knew, without a doubt, that when everything returned to normal, because it would, it HAD to, his grandpa and Aunt P would probably make sure the Author paid for it too.

That was the thing though, he had to get everything back to normal first. He'd managed to track down Isaac at a book signing, confronted him about the story and the magic and how he'd rewritten more than he was supposed to, and even was able to get them both sucked into the story too, into the very last chapter of the book. He'd been nearly left for dead by Isaac's hand to face down an Ogre before Gold, er…Rumpelstiltskin, had saved him.

It was weird, now, to him to see his grandpa as a knight of the realm, the Light One as people called him. He felt like he should be happy that his grandfather was a hero, shouldn't that be what all little boys wanted? Hadn't that been what had driven him away from his mother in the first place, that she was a Villain and he wanted to be a hero? Times had changed, it seemed, he had grown up from that, he understood more, understood it wasn't that simple or clear cut anymore, everyone had the capacity to be good or evil or even bits of both.

And seeing his grandpa like that, it was just wrong, it wasn't who he was, it wasn't him.

Much like his mother wasn't herself either. He'd tracked down Regina in the middle of the woods, seeming to be living there. It wasn't quite like Snow White's bandit days, she robbed sometimes, yes, but it seemed like she was really trying to make a life for herself in the woods. It made sense, when she was going to run away with Daniel they were going to do the same, live simple lives as peasants or make a home in the woods and survive off the earth. She only robbed when she needed something, though she seemed very angry that Robin Hood seemed to steal everything, which made it hard to get anything. She had seemed to pick up Snow's skill with a bow though, which, also, made sense if she needed to hunt for meat.

For a moment he'd thought Isaac had been completely unoriginal and just swapped Regina's story for Snow White's, that Snow would be the new Evil Queen, that is until he'd followed her through the woods to her latest heist and found the woman being confronted with none other than the Wicked Witch of the West, green skin and all.

She had been planning to rob a carriage, and been truly frightened when the door opened to reveal Zelena smirking at her.

Apparently she had seen in her crystal ball that Regina was going to plan the heist and wanted to finally end her little sister's miserable existence.

Regina hadn't seemed surprised when Zelena called her that, had just kept trying to apologize for something he wasn't sure what. It wasn't till Robin Hood appeared on a horse and saved Regina that Henry even breathed freely again, waiting till Zelena had disappeared in a puff of green with an angry screech before rushing after his mother. He'd managed to follow them to a town and was following the whispers of the people towards a tavern.

He glanced in, heaving in relief to see Regina and Robin Hood inside, the two sitting at a table, mugs before them, talking. Regina seemed to be moved by what Robin was saying and, from what he could see, Robin had the same look in his eyes, the same expression on his face, that the man always got when he would look at Regina in Storybrooke. He must be talking about love! This must be the part in the book where they started to fall in love!

He was just about to grin at that…when the duo turned as someone called out to Robin, the man getting up and hugging Maid Marian...wait, what?!

He blinked, even went so far as to rub his eyes, completely sure that he wasn't seeing what he thought he was. Marian was _dead_. No one could bring back the dead. It was why Regina wasn't with Daniel.

He had managed to read enough of the book to know that a lot of it had happened as it originally had. Regina has saved a very young Snow White from a runaway horse, had been proposed to by Leopold, and Cora had accepted, had torn out Daniel's heart and crushed it. But one difference was that Regina had banished her mother and this time NOT gone through with the marriage but run away. She had been living in the woods for years now, living a quiet life of a peasant, a life she would have shared with Daniel, keeping quiet about who she really was. It wasn't till a short while ago that she had started to try and save money to leave the land.

He hadn't gotten to why, but he could guess that it had something to do with Zelena. Clearly she had confronted Regina a time or two before, had revealed who she was. If this Zelena was anything like she had been in Storybrooke, she probably targeted Regina because she was envious of what Regina had in growing up a princess, was angry at what Regina had given up in denying Leopold and refusing to be Queen. If she was anything like the Zelena of Storybrooke…she wanted to ruin her sister's life.

His eyes, he was sure, couldn't have gotten any wider than they did as another thought hit him. If Zelena was like she had been in the original story…if she was using the same tricks…then the woman being held in Robin's arms as his mother looked on with a growing expression of heartbreak…was Zelena too! She was using the same magic to appear as Marian here! She was STILL trying to ruin her sister's life!

Because that couldn't be the real Marian, she was dead. It had to be an impostor, and the only person that would even want to take her appearance, or anyone else's appearance to get close to a simple thief, was someone that wanted to hurt Regina and had magic and knew who Robin Hood was to her. And that was only Zelena. A woman that had green skin would especially need to look like someone else to not be suspected of things. And if she still had magic, which he knew she did, then she probably had been digging into Regina's life, she probably learned about Robin Hood being her soulmate some how, as a way to find a method to truly devastate her sister.

It was funny, it seemed like heroes were getting short changed and villains were getting everything here. Zelena was making out like a bandit, so to speak, in getting both. She was STILL a villain, still had her magic, and was still able to ruin Regina's life...which was her happy ending in a way.

He was just about to charge in there, shouting the truth whether it was smart or not, when he ended up jumping back as Regina half-ran out of the tavern.

"Oh!" she gasped, when she nearly tripped over him, "You again," she huffed, rolling her eyes and pushing past, walking on quickly.

"Mom!" Henry rushed after her, trying to ignore how she brushed him off, reminding himself she had no memories of him as her son.

"You have to stop calling me that. How do you keep finding me anyway?"

"I followed you," he shrugged, "I figured you'd end up in Sherwood Forest with Robin Hood and…"

"I hate to break it to you," she cut in, "But Robin's already found his true love. And they're getting married today."

Henry didn't even bother to look back at the tavern Regina was gesturing to, he wasn't sure he wanted to see any interaction between Robin and Zelena while they were in private, "No, no, no, no. This is all wrong. That's Zelena," he tried to explain, "It's got to be!"

Regina let out a bitter scoff, "No, it's not."

"She's got magic, she can look like anyone!"

"Trust me," Regina muttered, "Zelena is NOT that good an actress. She would never be able to pull off those wide innocent eyes."

And why on earth would Zelena go THAT far as to have entered a courtship with a man that, up until today, SHE had never met nor had any inclination she would love or be loved by? That made no sense at all, no that was a real woman that really loved Robin Hood and who he loved in return, not her insane and jealous Sister hell bent on ruining her life just because she'd been born and kept while Zelena had been abandoned.

Henry bit his tongue from lashing out that yes she could, and yes she had, and she'd fallen for it once before too, instead going with, "No, you have to listen to me…"

"I heard enough," Regina huffed, "And look, I have to go."

Henry nearly ripped his hair out for how stubborn his mother was being, but had to remind himself he had gotten his stubbornness from her, and ran ahead of her, trying to block her path, "You can't tell me that you didn't feel anything when you met Robin Hood," Regina was silent, making him smile, "See, that's proof. He's your true love!"

"No," she sighed, "It's proof that I'm not the kind of person who gets a happy ending," she looked down, muttering, "I'll never have true love," to herself more than him, before realizing she'd said it aloud and glaring at him, "But you. You gave me the worst thing you can give anyone…hope. Now, I'd like to get far enough away that I don't have to hear Robin and Marian's wedding bells proclaim their love."

"Wait," Henry quickly moved to the side as she tried to sidestep him, "Did you say wedding bells?"

"Yes," Regina huffed, "Now please, let me be."

"Bells!" he moved to the other side, cutting her off again, "From the end of the book," he gestured wildly, trying to remind her of the book he had showed her earlier, a copy of Isaac's, also recalling his words from when they entered the story, when the bells tolled everything would be permanent, "That's what he was talking about. Those bells, this wedding…it's our last chance to stop this from becoming real forever!"

"It already IS real."

"Not yet," he insisted, "We have to stop this wedding!"

Regina sighed, "You seem like a nice boy. And clearly you believe all this...nonsense…" she paused, thinking of something he'd mentioned when he first tracked her down, "Didn't you say I was your _adoptive_ mother? That you have another mother somewhere, named, uh, Emma? If you want help, maybe you should start by finding her."

"I tried," he admitted, "She wasn't in the book. And if she were, believe me, you'd know. She's the most powerful sorceress there is!"

"The only sorceress in this land is Zelena."

"Oh she's more powerful than her," Henry smiled, thinking of his Mother, "She has, uh, special magic."

"Special magic?"

"In our world, she was called 'the Savior,'" he watched Regina's face carefully, but there was no sign of recognition, "She was, well, she also had these…quirks," he couldn't think of a better word, "Because of Aunt P, remember her? The Pied Piper?" Regina's face was still blank, he knew he'd mentioned Piper to her though, "Well, Emma got some magical mojo from her too, really small scale things though, Siren magic and…"

"Siren magic?" Regina frowned, before shaking her head, "No one here with that magic either," she quickly tried to move past him, but Henry caught how her eyes flitted away to the side, unable to look him in the eye.

"Mom, no," he moved into her path one more time, "I know that face. What aren't you telling me?"

Regina sighed, "The only Siren around here was Queen Ilayda," she explained, "But her daughter, Rose Red, she wasn't a Siren at all. And she's certainly no Piper…"

Henry nearly smacked himself for that, he was so used to calling Piper 'Aunt P' or referring to her as Piper that he hadn't even realized he'd never called her Rose Red. That had always been his grandmother's thing, calling her Rose, no one else did it, no one else saw her as Rose Red still, so he hadn't even thought of it. He KNEW Rose Red was Queen here, he'd glimpsed as much in the book as he'd rushed through it, he hadn't quite known she wasn't a Siren though…

"She's very kind, from what I've heard," Regina went on, not noticing his revelation, "She even took in her cousin, Snow White, when she was dethroned."

He frowned, watching her again, "What aren't you saying?"

Regina hesitated, "There was a rumor, once, a while ago, during a terrible storm that appeared for only a few moments, that it was the work of magic. Some claimed they saw a portal open up near Rose Red's castle. One of my friends, she's courting one of the guard captains, she told me that a woman appeared in it."

She honestly wasn't sure if she should tell him that, Red Riding Hood had helped her once when she had gotten dangerously ill during a bad winter, she and her grandmother. In repayment, she had tried to help Red find the cause of wolf attacks in the girl's village, only to discover it was Red herself, unknowing she was a werewolf. She had nearly died when Red attacked her till the girl's grandmother had come to the rescue. She had sworn to keep the girl's secret if she would, in turn, swear to not tell another living soul that they had met, she didn't want anyone, least of all Snow White or Zelena now, to find out where she was or how she was surviving. She was sure Snow would be searching for her in villages and other kingdoms, she wouldn't think to look to the woods and she wanted to keep it that way. Red had agreed with the added stipulation that they be able to meet at least once every few months, so she could be sure her friend was doing ok, promising Snow would never find out about it.

She shook herself from those thoughts, "If you're looking for someone with magic, a person thrown through a portal might be a place to start."

"Isaac lied!" Henry declared, recalling how Isaac had told him that Emma didn't exist in the story, that he had written her out the same way he'd been written out himself, "He couldn't write her out of the story!" especially not when Emma WAS in the fairytale book, right at the end, but she was IN there, "Where can I find her?"

"Last I heard, she was at the Queen's castle, but no one has actually seen her since that storm."

~8~

Rumpelstiltskin walked through the halls of Rose Red's castle, following the tug he felt on his heart towards where he knew his wife-to-be would be, and there she was, standing in a small room filled with portraits of past kings and their families, her arms crossed as she looked up at the last painting of her father.

"Rose," he breathed, moving over to her side and hugging her tightly, glad he'd found her, when she hadn't come to noontime meal he'd been worried, "You've heard?"

She nodded, leaning back against him, "Emma has departed with Captain Jones and Red Riding Hood to apprehend this Henry boy."

It had been decided, after much debate, that Emma WOULD go to find this Henry fellow and escort him to the castle. Snow White and her Shepherd had argued against it, believing Isaac that the boy would bring harm to Regina and believing that Emma would not be in the right frame of mind to force the boy back. They had wanted to send the Dwarves, had hoped that, in doing this, it would show Regina that they meant her no harm and she would come back or at least agree to speak to Snow. She had made the argument that, even if Emma couldn't be trusted, Captain Jones had more than proven his loyalty to the crown and that his betrothed was also an expert tracker and could help, for surely a young boy would leave more tracks than the seasoned Regina had. And, ultimately, she reminded them, it was HER kingdom and HER say as to who went on this quest. She hated to pull rank on her cousin, given the circumstances, but she had to sometimes. Snow was naive in her own way, but she was young still. SHE, on the other hand, was older, wiser, had had more training in what it took to rule a kingdom. She always tried to look at things distantly, logically, without emotion clouding her, as her mother had often helped give her father perspective in such, to make the best decision for a situation.

She just could not shake the feeling that Isaac was lying, that he was trying to manipulate the situation. How could a child bring about the downfall of a woman? Why was this grown man trying to get them to target a young boy? Was this boy truly so crafty that he could not be dealt with by a single man? And wouldn't the best person to find and talk him down BE his mother?

She trusted Emma more than she did this Isaac bloke. Emma had been with them for a while now, had done nothing at all to harm them, had seemed to care about them, even Regina. She had noticed Emma's attention lingering on Captain Jones longer than was proper, had seen the hurt and pain in her eyes when he would smile and spend time with his own courted lass, Red Riding Hood, but she never interfered, never tried to get in the way. It was clear Emma cared for Captain Jones, even if it pained her to do so.

And the way she looked at Snow White and David, it was like she had a hard time being around them. She had noticed Emma could never seem to look them in the eye as they spoke, more from a discomfort than anything. When she had asked once, Emma had admitted that she knew Snow and David from her time, that they were very close to each other, and to have them look through her and not know her, it hurt. No matter if she had been at odds with and upset with the other thems, it still hurt how they looked at her HERE. She had to wonder if Emma felt the same about HER, if they had known each other as well, for Emma seemed to have no difficulty being around her. Emma had been quite honest that yes, they did know each other and care for each other, but that it was different when it came to her. Because, apparently, SHE was different than the one that Emma knew. It was easier for Emma to be around her and even Rummy because they were both so completely different than what she was used to, it was almost like they were new people that just shared the face of people she knew.

Emma had said that, honestly, it was more than a little creepy to her, to see them acting how they did, but she hadn't elaborated as to what that was.

"You made the right decision, Rose," he murmured in her ear, "A boy could not possibly be such a threat."

"Peter Pan was," she reminded him.

"He was not a boy," his grip around her tightened at the reminder of his father. It had been a truly devastating battle between him and the man, but he had come out victorious in the end, the realm was safe, as was his beloved.

"No," she could admit to that, "Still, I cannot shake that Isaac has more behind what he says than just a simple care for Regina."

"You'd be right," a voice spoke behind them, making them spin around, Isaac wincing as he was thrown back from a blast of magic from Rumpelstiltskin in defense, though he pushed himself to his feet, "There IS more going on."

"What?" Rumpelstiltskin demanded, frowning at the man, not liking how he'd managed to sneak up on them.

"I didn't just come here to warn you about the threat to Regina," he agreed, "I came here to warn YOU as well, the both of you," he looked between them, "Your happiness is in danger."

"From a child?" Rose scoffed, not believing him. If this boy, this Henry, truly was Emma's child, she had a hard time believing he was a threat to anything.

"Yes, actually," Isaac nodded, "He's on a mission to see that Regina finds her happy ending. If he succeeds, everything you have will be destroyed. Not to mention what I have."

"Nonsense," Rumpelstiltskin shook his head, "How can some stranger's actions affect our life?"

"Because your happiness, your entire life, the family you two have built, the kingdom you have," he looked at Rose more for that, "It's not _real_. I know because _I_ am the one who created it with magic and it is all about to crumble. Regina's true love is about to marry another. She's going to try and stop the wedding. You _cannot_ let her succeed. You have to kill her."

Rose stiffened at that, "You sent Emma after the boy, so there would be no one around Regina to help her."

"I did," Isaac agreed, "I hoped to do that. I don't know if Emma will allow it. She's probably gung-ho to help him help Regina too."

"Regina should have her happy ending after the life she has led," Rose shook her head, "How would her being happy end our own?"

"The magic I used will break if she shares true love's kiss with her soulmate," Isaac warned, "True Love's Kiss can break any magic, all of this was done to take away the happy endings of the heroes, if a hero gets their happy ending, it's over, it will end everything I have done for you. You will find yourselves dying," he looked at Rumpelstiltskin, "Your child dying," and back at Rose Red, "Your sons have already been lost, your family broken and scattered, fractured and at odds with each other, your kingdom in flames, all your allies against you. You will constantly be seen as villains to everyone around you. THAT is the world I saved you from, that is the misery I helped you escape. I gave you this, your happy ending, as humans," he emphasized at Rose Red, letting her know that in the other world she had most certainly inherited something from her mother, "As heroes," and to Rumpelstiltskin as well.

"No!" Rumpelstiltskin roared, pulling his sword from its scabbard, "You've been sent here to try to corrupt us!"

Isaac held up his hands, backing up slowly, "You have already been corrupted. Before all of this, you were both villains, maybe the worst of them all. You…" he frowned at Rose Red, "You were a monster that parents warned their children about, you were a terror villages warded against, a creature with a heart of stone and no regret," he almost smiled when he saw Rose step back at that, "And you…the Light One," he scoffed at that, eyeing Rumpelstiltskin, "You were the DARK One, filled to the brim with centuries of dark power, selfish and cruel, delighting in the desperation of others, always willing and ready to take advantage of their needs. And that's why you had me use magic to help you, so I rewrote your story. Your heart couldn't take the evil in it any longer, it was failing," his gaze flickered as Rumpelstiltskin put his hand on his heart almost unconsciously, "Deep down, you know I'm right," he insisted, "You're not really a hero, neither of you are, and if you don't kill Regina and keep her from her happy ending, then everyone will know too, they'll remember, and they won't be happy. Neither of you are strong enough to stop them coming for you, and they will, with pitchforks and torches and weapons you can't even begin to imagine. They will be out for blood," ok, he doubted that last part, doubted it would get THAT extreme, but anything to scare them, "I know you'll make the right choice," he looked between them, "You always do, to protect your family."

And with that, he turned and strode out of the room, a smirk on his face, knowing he'd gotten through to them. They were villains, they were selfish and greedy, they would do anything to preserve their happy ending once it had been handed to them on a silver platter. For Gold to have a happy ending, he needed two things, his heart cured, for darkness to never have touched it which meant he needed to be a hero from the start, and for Piper to be happy. For Piper to be happy, she needed her family together and safe, at peace with and accepting of her. The only way for that to happen was for her to not be a Siren, that was what had driven a wedge between her and Snow White in the first place.

He had to be creative in how he got his own revenge against the heroes while still giving the villains what they wanted though, especially when he wanted the heroes to suffer and a large part of a particular happy ending was for a certain hero to not be harmed. It was a tricky choice, whether to condemn Snow White and let Piper have her revenge, or to erase that feud and have them reconciled. It would be far, FAR too easy to just let the heroes suffer openly, to have Piper target Snow White in revenge just as the Evil Queen had done. And that story had already BEEN done, no...he wanted something fresh.

Here, Piper held all the power over Snow White, she was the most beloved, SHE was the Queen, she held Snow's life in her hands. Snow had lost EVERYTHING. She had lost her crown, her parents, her kingdom and people, the respect they had for her, she had thrown all of it away on love, as she had been willing to do in her true past as well. She hadn't cared about the lives of others so long as it helped her get her Charming back, it carried over. A few other little details here and there and Snow White was as good as a peasant and nearly hunted down, a pariah among everyone else outside this castle, just as it had been for Rose Red being half-siren as a child. It was only through the benevolence and care of her cousin that she survived and had a home and food. And now, Emma being there almost made up for the threat to his story playing out and becoming real. With Emma there, another Emma couldn't exist, couldn't be born. Snow White and her Charming shepherd would never be able to have a child so long as Emma existed here, the magic wouldn't allow it.

It was bittersweet, to take everything Snow had ever had and cause her to lose it, to give Piper the entire power over her cousin's life and happiness, in a way he knew Snow White could have had and somewhat had as well. Now Piper was the one controlling Snow's fate and protection, just as Snow had given up on Piper's.

And Villains did love their power, he was sure, certain really, that neither Rose Red nor Rumpelstiltskin would give this world up.

Though, if there was one thing he'd learned from villains, it was to always have a Plan B, and lucky for him...he knew exactly where to find it...

~8~

"Found me again, have you?" Rose Red murmured as she stood before a wide window this time, mere hours later, looking out at the courtyard of her castle where Snow was directing everyone in preparation for the wedding. It was to begin in only a few short minutes, the sun just beginning to ready to set. She was ready for it too, a white gown fitted to her, a veil in her hair, a small bouquet of red roses that Snow had made resting on the windowsill before her. A gift she knew her cousin desperately wished she could give a better version of. But Snow truly had nothing to her name anymore, and she did appreciate even the smallest of thoughts and gestures from her cousin in return.

"I will always find you," Rumpelstiltskin remarked as he joined her, "It is rather bad luck to see the bride in her gown before the wedding, but I could sense you needed me."

Rose smiled at that, turning to look at him, "I feel conflicted."

"Not about the wedding, I should hope," he grinned.

She shook her head, her smile reassuring him it wasn't that, "Emma, Henry, what that man said," she sighed.

He grew serious at that, stepping up to her and taking her hands, "Whatever you want me to do, Rose, you need only ask and I shall. If you wish me to find them and return them here, or stop Regina, or... _anything_ ," the implication of what that encompassed wasn't lost on her, "I would do it, for YOU."

"That is just it," she admitted quietly, "I feel as though...anyone else, anyone at all, _would_ ask that of you. That I SHOULD ask it, but..." she seemed to struggle with the words, "I cannot. Emma was...familiar to me, in a way that reminded me of Snow. And Henry is her son, I would not see them harmed over our lives remaining as they are," she looked up at him, "Does that make me selfish in your eyes? That I value their lives over what we have?"

He reached up, gently stroking her cheek with his hand, "You, Rose, have always been the most selfless woman I have ever known. The way you put your family first, you would do anything for them. We know now that Emma _is_ your family in the future."

She nodded slightly at that, thinking of a message, a note she had found when she returned to her rooms after Isaac confronted them, left for her by Emma. She had wanted just a moment to herself, to gather her thoughts, before her maids would rush in to prepare her for the wedding, when she had seen it resting on her bedside table. It was the girl apologizing, because she _was_ going to do exactly as Isaac warned, and help Henry instead of return with him. She had explained that yes, Henry was her son, but Snow White and David were her parents, in the future she came from, which made her family to Rose as well. She apologized for the harm her actions might cause, but truly believed it had to be done, that what was going on had to be stopped.

This was not the right world, this WAS fake, and it had to be set right again, because Isaac had gone back on his word, he had changed things that weren't meant to be changed, for his own selfish gain in being able to sell a good story.

She had stressed, in the letter, she was doing it for Piper too, her Aunt P, as she called the woman, HER. This Piper was herself, was Rose Red in the other world. And what Isaac had done was a betrayal to her and 'Gold,' her Rummy. Because in the other world, she was more Siren than human, and Isaac had torn her family apart in this realm. He had made Emma an outlier, he had erased a boy that was her nephew in Henry, he had removed her son August's memories of her yet again, and caused her cousin, Snow, to suffer in the loss of everything she had ever had. It had to be stopped, because her aunt, while wanting to save her true love, would not have wanted this to happen to her family. Worse yet, he had stripped this Piper woman of everything that made her her, her Siren traits, her history, her magic. He had purposefully made her powerless so that she wouldn't be able to stop him. He may have given her back her kingdom, but it was really Snow's, her parents were still dead, her sons still lost, her family broken, and now her memories tampered with.

He had had to strip her of everything that made her her, to have this story play out. The only way to make sure she wouldn't remember, as Siren magic was said to protect the mind, was to unmake her, to have her be human instead.

And the worst yet...he had taken her child, he had erased it from existence. She had been pregnant in the other world, but she was not pregnant here. The man had ended its existence before she had even felt it here.

She knew any other person would be happy with what she had, would have wanted to stop Emma and keep things as they were, because she _was_ happy. She still had a kingdom, she had her true love, she had her cousin, it should be enough.

But it was all wrong.

She couldn't help but feel, deep down, that they shouldn't interfere with Emma or Henry's plan. If it happened, then the world would be righted again. If it didn't, then this is what their lives would be like and, she was hopeful, Emma would return with Henry and perhaps they could attempt being a family again. She also knew, though, that for their lives to continue as they were, that something would have happened to Regina. The only way Emma and Henry could fail now would be if Regina died, as Isaac claimed, and it would devastate not only Snow to lose the woman but Henry, who had been adopted by her in the other world, as well.

"You would not fault me if our story changed?" she asked, searching his eyes for the answer, for the truth.

Rumpelstiltskin could only give her a gentle smile, "So long as I have you, Rose, so long as I have your love, our story could change in any way and I wouldn't mind it, just as long as I have you in the end."

She let out a relieved breath and hugged him tightly, feeling him rest his chin on top of her head as he wound his arms around her.

They would not interfere, no, they would let what chips fall as they may and see where the story went.

~8~

Rumpelstiltskin could not have smiled any wider than he was as he saw his truest love walking down a small aisle towards him, petals of red roses drifting down from the sky, sprinkled over them by magic as she walked, escorted by David as her father was no longer living. Snow White was already at her position next to where Rose would be standing, ready to support her cousin in this important moment.

The wedding had come, they were finally going to be married, and he could feel his heart swell at the thought that they would finally be husband and wife after so long.

He held out a hand as Rose reached him, a tingling shooting up his arm as her skin touched his, as it always did, his body humming in excitement and washing with love for her as they faced the priest, though he hardly heard the words the man was saying, his attention was so fully fixated on Rose beside him. It seemed she couldn't quite look away even as their bodies turned to face the man.

They had wanted a simple ceremony, only their closest friends and allies present, not long and drawn out and formal. The priest's speech was simple, short, but full of everything they knew they meant to each other and promised to be to each other. It was almost like the blink of an eye before it was time to exchange the rings and speak their vows. They had decided not to say their own but to merely follow the lines fed to them by the priest. There was no amount of words in existence, nor time enough to speak them, that could adequately describe what they felt for each other. They were hardly going to try and sum it up, instead knowing that the vows they made were meaningful and real, their feelings were true and their promise lasting.

That was all they needed.

It was with wide, beaming smiles that they leaned into share their first kiss as man and wife…

And nearly pulled back with a gasp as ripple of rainbow colored light waved out from them, the sign of a spell or curse being broken with the use of True Love's Kiss.

Their eyes were wide in horror as they looked at each other…before Rose Red's expression hardened into something so dark and dangerous that Snow White nearly gasped at the sight of the foreign expression on her cousin's face, "Isaac!" she spat, sounding for all the world as though she were about to murder someone. But then another thought struck her and her eyes locked on Rumpelstiltskin's again, "Henry!" she gasped, "Rummy…"

Rumpelstiltskin just nodded, swishing his hand and causing them to disappear in a swirl of white smoke.

"No!" Rumpelstiltskin shouted as the smoke died down to reveal chaos before them, the man quickly throwing out his hand and sending a green-skinned woman flying back into the air.

They had transported to a church where a small gathering had come to stop just outside the doors of the building. Isaac had mentioned Regina's true love about to be married and now there they were, at the very church it was going to happen at.

Though it seemed like it HADN'T happened at all.

Robin Hood had been standing, in all his wedding finery, just beside Regina, his arm out to protect her as he'd faced the green-skinned Wicked Witch in all her glory. He was clearly defending her from the woman, and the fact that Regina had been standing beside him, that he was guarding her, that everyone was gathered outside and not just leaving with the bells tolling, meant that he hadn't gone through with the wedding. But in the blink of an eye Zelena had sent a fireball at the man…and Regina had leapt in the way, which was when Rumpelstiltskin had thrown the witch back with magic, the two of them rushing over.

Rose…no, Piper, she was PIPER, she remembered now. The kiss she had shared with Gold had broken whatever magic Isaac held over their minds, even if she wasn't a Siren here, she could remember being one. And now she remembered everything.

This was NOT what they had agreed upon, this was not the story that she knew Gold had devised for Isaac to write down, this was the farthest thing from it. All he had needed to do was change a few small details of the past, make it so they'd been in the Enchanted Forest when Gold had freed himself of the Dagger's hold, there would be no town line to cross, they would have finished the ritual perfectly. He was even meant to rewrite some of the darkest deeds from the Dark One's past as a defensive response instead of giving into the dark, to give them more time in case something interrupted them, give them more time to work out a second plan B to heal his heart.

This was not at all the story they had believed the man to be writing.

And why should they have believed him? She could have slapped herself for not realizing, for not doubting him. She should have watched him more closely, but with the baby and Emma and August and the Queens of Darkness and Henry and Gold's heart and her war with Snow, it was too much to focus on. Gold was in no condition to do it. But she should have found a way. She thought she had intimidated him enough to have him not cross her, it appeared she'd failed. And in her failure he had taken advantage of them, he had caused all of this, he had nearly caused her to lose Emma and Henry, he had already made her lose her child and she was going to tear him limb from limb for it.

Oh she should have just taken his heart and dictated what he should write!

She was going to kill him.

But not until she'd made sure Emma was alright.

While Rumpelstiltskin's attention had gone to the catalyst that could reverse all this nonsense and how she was struck down by a fireball, her attention had gone to her niece, lying on the ground with a frightened Henry trying to wake her, clearly having been in some sort of battle with Zelena before they arrived. She would never forgive herself for that.

"Emma!" Piper gasped as she dropped to her knees beside the blonde, "Emma!"

"Aunt P?" Henry looked at her cautiously. He'd had a hell of a time getting his adoptive mother to believe him, had been half scared to death that Emma wouldn't know who he was either, but had been relieved that she had. If Piper didn't know him…he didn't know what he'd do.

"Henry," Piper gave him a brief nod, leaning over to lightly slap Emma's cheeks to rouse her.

Henry let out a sigh of relief, sitting back on his heels just a bit, silently cursing Hook. He had been at the docks, trying to find the man to get his help in finding Emma, because a Pirate had to be good at breaking into places. But he hadn't been there.

It seemed Emma had had the suspicion that that was where he'd go first, and tracked him down in the middle of a confrontation with Blackbeard. He'd been so happy she remembered him, and a little concerned that Hook, who accompanied her with Red Riding Hood, didn't seem to…and that he had two hands. The man had hardly glanced at Emma, which was weird, but then he'd seen how the man focused on Red, how they smiled at each other, and he realized what Isaac had done.

It wasn't just his one mother that Isaac was trying to torment, but his other mother's as well even if it had been unintentional. Isaac had said Emma couldn't exist here, so he'd paired Hook off with someone else for some reason, it just so happened that Emma WAS there and now she was forced to deal with this too. He knew his mother felt something for Hook, though she was being more cautious about it now. But she still felt something, when she wasn't angry that is. To see a man she might have a future with being with another woman, being happy with her and showing no interest in Emma, it had to hurt. But Emma had put on a brave face and decided to help him convince Regina to go after Robin Hood.

Hook, er, Captain Jones, hadn't been happy with that decision, had even tried to forcefully return them to Rose Red's castle, but they'd managed to fight him and Red Riding Hood off and flee. He was sure the man had gone back to the castle to warn the others with Red, but it would take them too long to reach that than it would THEM to reach Regina and the church.

And speaking of Regina, he looked over and let out a strangled cry when he saw his other mother lying on the ground, a hand pressed to her stomach where he could see blood and burned flesh. He raced over, nearly shoving Robin Hood aside from where the man was kneeling, holding her hand and head, till Rumpelstiltskin, who had been trying to heal her with magic, stood, his face grim, allowing the boy to take his place.

"Pip," Rumpelstiltskin called over to her as Emma slowly regained consciousness, unconsciously letting Henry know that HE remembered too, that he was Gold again. He shook his head telling her that he couldn't heal her, "Blood magic."

Piper closed her eyes, letting out a hiss at that information. Of course Zelena would take care to use the one magic that no one else would be able to counter, not even the Dark/Light One. And she could guess who had put the idea in her head, Isaac HAD disappeared from Rose Red's castle shortly after the confrontation with him. He could have easily gone to find Zelena and warn her of Henry's quest, remind her that blood magic could only be undone by those of your blood, and Regina, in this realm, had no magic either. Even if she did, she had no memory of how to use it and healing spells took a special kind of magic and focus.

"Mom!" Henry half-begged, trying to keep Regina conscious.

Emma winced as she blinked, coming out of it, "What…"

"Zelena attacked Regina," Piper stated.

Emma blinked at that, "You believe me?"

"I _remember_ you," Piper corrected, helping Emma up.

"Regina!" Emma gasped, seeing the woman and hurrying to Henry's side as well, Piper moving to stand beside Gold as they looked on, both keeping tense and wary, Zelena had disappeared…

"Why did you do that?" Robin shook his head, looking down at Regina, "Why…"

"I couldn't let you die, Robin," Regina breathed weakly, wincing as bells began to toll, ending the hour.

"We're at the end of the book," Emma realized, looking up at Piper and Gold for help, "We're not gonna be able to change anything now, are we?"

Piper looked around as she heard Robin trying to reassure Regina, but the woman being realistic about her chances, when her gaze landed on someone that very much COULD change something, "You!" she hissed, stalking across the small gathering that had clearly been Robin's wedding party, towards the one man trying to sneak off. She grabbed Isaac by the front of his shirt and half-hauled him backwards, out of the gathering and into the open, "You. Fix this. Now!"

"It's too late," he just smirked.

"This was not our bargain," Gold stepped threateningly towards him.

"And what are you gonna do about it?" Isaac taunted, "YOU don't have your magic here," he pointed at Piper, though his gaze flickered to a glaring Emma too, reminding her she was powerless also, "And YOU," he smirked at Gold, "You so much as give me a papercut out of vengeance and your darkness will be right back in your heart, eating it up faster than ever."

Emma pushed herself up and stalked over, pulling back her arm and punching Isaac deftly across the face, "You're gonna change things!" she repeated, threatening him, here she wasn't the Savior either, so that meant no chance of darkness infecting her right? "Return things to the way they were. Bring back everyone's memories, save Regina…"

"I _can't_ ," Isaac panted, "I'm not the Author anymore, I wrote my own happy ending, I'm out of the job. I can't change them now," he winced from where he'd fallen to the ground at the force of her push, hardly even noticing the quill and ink that had fallen from his satchel…though someone else had.

Henry quickly stood up and walked towards the quill, so focused on it that he might as well have been in a trance, before he picked it up…the small pen starting to glow blue in his hold.

"Whoa, kid, what the hell?" Emma breathed.

"No!" Isaac cried.

"What happening?"

Piper, though, smirked, able to guess, "Henry is the next Author."

"I…I can feel it," Henry breathed.

"Henry," Emma moved to his side, picking up a few scattered papers and offering it to him, "Fix it. Write everything the way it was."

Isaac snorted, "Without ink, he's not writing anything."

"Then it's a good thing we have it," Gold remarked, snapping his fingers and making the small inkwell that contained the ink appear in his hand, offering it to Henry. He had kept careful eye on how much the Author was writing even if he hadn't known what the man was writing, there should be enough, just a little left...

"But…" Henry looked at him, opening the well to see there was just enough for one more line, "Grandpa, if I…you…"

Gold gave him a sorrowful smile, "When we return," he told Henry, "YOU can write my heart cured and protected once more. I trust you Henry."

Henry nodded slowly at that, he had hoped he wouldn't have to pick between his dying mother and dying grandfather, and he wouldn't. If he reversed everything, they'd be right back to where they were, with Gold's heart failing, but now that HE was the Author, he could change that. HE could write that Gold's heart was free of the infectious darkness and protected from darkness ever harming it again, but he needed to get back to Storybrooke to do it. He hadn't seen Lily here, he knew where she was in Storybrooke, he could find her and get more ink, but he had to get there first.

"Don't!" Isaac cried, about to lunge for Henry as the boy turned to kneel beside his fallen mother and rewrite the story again…but Piper was quicker and kicked him in the jaw just as he lunged, sending him flying onto his back.

Gold quickly lifted his hand as a blast of magic was sent at them, the Wicked Witch on her broomstick, ranting about how Regina had ruined her plans at a happy ending once more and trying to hurl fireball after fireball at them, but the magic of the Light One was holding so far.

"Henry, hurry," Piper warned, it wouldn't take Zelena long to realize she should use blood magic here as well.

"'Thanks to the hero Regina's sacrifice," Henry quickly wrote, reading aloud, "Isaac's villainous work was undone!'"

Henry dropped the pages as a blue light blasted out of them…

~8~

Piper gasped as she shot up from where she was lying on the floor of Gold's shop, a quick look out the window telling her they were back in Storybrooke. She turned to Gold, seeing him on his back, struggling to breathe, her gaze turning back to Isaac as the man seemed to look at them, terrified.

Before she could even open her mouth, he had his hands on his ears and was running for the door, seeming ready to slam his way through it so he wouldn't have to risk uncovering his ears...only for the door to be shoved open from the other side as August entered, glaring down at the man he'd purposefully forced the door open to hit, assuming the coward would try to run and thanking god that he and Emma hadn't exactly gotten far away before the story was changed.

"Nice try," August almost sneered, leaning down to haul the man up, he looked at his mother, "Emma and Henry are tracking down Lily, just hold on a little longer," he added to Gold, before turning to push Isaac out of the shop, needing to get the man locked up and away from his mother. He was sure he could spin a tale that it was all Isaac's fault and not Gold or Piper's what happened, get the heat off them, especially when it was mostly true. Isaac was never meant to change THAT much.

"Hear that?" Piper turned back to Gold, stroking his hair and cheek, trying to comfort him as best she could, "Just a little longer, Rummy," she lifted his hand to her lips, pressing a kiss to the back of it as she held it, "Hold on, for me."

He tried to smile as she began to hum a tune he knew was meant to help him relax and to dim pain, to give him strength, he could admit it was working just slightly, "At least, in the end, we were married," he tried to make light, "Never…never thought we'd see the day."

"You could have asked," she muttered.

"You'd say no," he knew her well, she hated all the conventions and propriety of it all, she loved him, they didn't need a piece of paper or rings to say so.

"I might change my mind," she tried to barter, "You hold on and I shall marry you. Deal?"

He managed a weak laugh, "Best deal I'll have ever made."

She smiled at him, humming more, glancing at the door every so often hoping Emma and Henry would burst through it with the ink.

~8~

"Yes!" Henry cheered as Emma came back to where she had ordered him to wait at the edge of the trees near the highest point in Storybrooke.

She had guessed that Lily and Maleficent would be there, being dragons and with the debacle that was Lily's flying before, and…perhaps even a small niggling in her magic that led her to Lily as well what with the girl having her darkness and some magic too. She had managed to convince Lily that they needed a sample of her blood, to prevent a great evil from being released, and, with a few select words to Maleficent about just what that evil was and how it would turn on everyone and their child, had gotten her to listen. She held up the small inkwell for her son to see, hence earning the cheer from him.

He had the quill in hand, saved from the other world, and she had the ink, they could go help Gold and…

"It is tempting, is it not?" a voice spoke behind Henry, making them both turn to look over, seeing the Apprentice standing there, a small smile on his face, "The power of the quill."

"I know, I know," Henry said quickly, "I get it, I do. But I just need to use it one more time, to help grandpa and then…"

"No," the Apprentice shook his head, "The truth is what you must write, and only what you may write. I hope that you can resist the temptation of the quill."

"I can, and I will," Henry nodded, "AFTER I help Grandpa!"

"Then I am sorry, Henry," the Apprentice sighed, his hopeful smile falling as he held out his hand, the quill flying out of Henry's hand and into the Apprentice's, "My Master and I agreed, if we could not find a suitable Author to replace Isaac, then no Author would come again."

And with that, he snapped the quill in half.

"NO!" Henry cried as he watched the one thing that could save his grandfather, the one thing that could finally give HIM a way to protect his family, be destroyed.

"The power to change reality is only outweighed by the cost," the Apprentice stated wisely.

"And what cost would be higher than NOT helping Gold and letting the Dark One free in Storybrooke?" Emma demanded.

"If Henry were to write the Darkness banished from Rumpelstiltskin's heart," the man stated, "It would need to find another living vessel to enter," he looked at Emma, "A concept, I am sure, you're familiar with."

Emma glared at him for that, clearly they weren't going to just banish the darkness. They wanted to protect Gold's heart from the infection of it, not get rid of it. Just imaging the Dark One without a dark heart was ridiculous, imagining Gold without his darkness was equally so.

"I can help," the man continued.

"How?" Henry seemed to be on the verge of crying. One thing, he had ONE job to do, one quest that only HE could do to get his grandfather healthy again, and he'd failed. How was he going to be…anything…if people kept stopping him? Kept thinking he couldn't handle it?

"I may be able to _contain_ the Darkness in something else."

~8~

Piper glared at the Apprentice as he stood over Gold, now lying on a cot, with the bucket-like box that contained the Sorcerer's Hat in it. She reached out and grabbed his arm as he leaned nearer to Gold, "You trap him in there, I kill you," she warned him with a snarl.

"Rose!" came the automatic and chastising voice of Mary Margaret as she stood to the side of the pawn shop with David and Hook. Emma, Henry, and August were on the other side, all of them watching what the Apprentice would do.

She was loathe for Mary Margaret and the other two to be there, but the hat had been kept in Mary Margaret's apartment, they had seen Emma and Henry come to collect it and followed them off.

"This is…not unlike that," the Apprentice remarked, not making a comment about how THEY had forced him into that hat, "We are pulling the Darkness from him and containing it."

"No," Piper did snarl this time, "I will NOT allow that ritual."

"If it can stop the Darkness coming to power..." David began to argue…when Piper shot him her most venom filled glare, actually making him stop.

"Have we not learned enough from it?!" she stood, angry, moving to put herself in between Gold and the Apprentice, "This could very well KILL him!"

Hook scoffed at that, "If the Crocodile managed to survive 300 years, I'm sure he can survive one bloody ritualistic heart cleansing."

"Hook!"

The sound of Emma snapping at him, the glare that she was sending them was enough to both confuse them and worry them.

"It's just going to heal his heart," Mary Margaret tried to defend, "It'll keep the town safe."

Piper rolled her eyes at that, at the same excuse that the woman had used in banishing him and condemning him to this fate in the first place, "Just like you kept Emma's soul safe by cursing another child?"

"We did what we had to!" David defended.

"You did what was EASY," Piper shot right back, "This ritual…" she couldn't even speak of it.

Emma reached out for Piper's hand and grabbed hold of it, the look passing between them making Mary Margaret shift, it was like they knew something no one else did. Like Emma was trying to reassure her of something, which she was, because she knew exactly what ritual Piper was thinking of.

"It must be done," the Apprentice spoke.

"Like hell it must!" Piper nearly lunged at him, only for August to pull her back.

"Mom!" he struggled to hold her as she tried to attack the man, "Mom, stop! Stop!"

"None of you understand a thing about this!" she hissed at the heroes, ceasing her struggles but August didn't let go of her just yet, the glare she was sending the Apprentice told him she'd likely kill him if released, "None of you understand a thing about HIM!" she pointed at Gold.

"We know his heart's dying," David defended, having gotten a gist of what was going on, "You'd think you'd want your true love alive."

"Whoa!" August grunted, only barely managing to pull his mother back as she tried to turn her attack on Charming.

He knew what was happening, it was the instinct, the Siren-instinct that her mate was in danger and she had to protect him. Clearly this was going to happen whether Piper wanted it to or not, they were out numbered by 'heroes' and the Apprentice, Gold was down for the count, Emma no matter how angry at her parents wouldn't attack them, he was non-magical as was Henry who was also a child, and Piper was in no proper state of mind to control herself. He had to keep her restrained till she could get a hold of herself, but the heroes weren't helping matters.

"This will kill him," Piper argued, "This will torture him!"

"I can preserve him," the Apprentice offered, "Sedate him, even," he added as Piper turned her narrowed eyes on him, "He won't feel anything..."

"I doubt that," Piper snapped.

"This ritual is different," the man insisted, "It will affect only the Darkness brought on by his curse," he gave Piper a look, as though he knew what she was thinking of, "It will not separate the darkness from his own soul. The curse of the Dark One is to force the Darkness into someone, I will merely release him from the Darkness that is feeding on him, the Darkness that is not his own. We will be able to purify his heart until it can be protected."

"And then we shall put the Darkness _back_ ," Piper finished, yanking her arm out of August's grip to hold up her hand when the 'heroes' tried to protest, "You wish to condemn Rummy to this, to turn him into something he is not, you wish me to stand aside? Then you GIVE him the Darkness back when his heart can handle it."

It wasn't a matter of giving Gold the power of the Dark One, it was that...after 300 years, the Darkness has become his, had grown used to him, bonded with him. To try and remove that from him, he wouldn't he HIM, he wouldn't be whole without it back, so she would find a way that, when he woke from this nightmare, he was himself again. That was something no one seemed to understand, not the heroes, not Belle, that this was who Rumpelstiltskin was NOW. He may have been human 300 years ago, but he had had decades, centuries, being the man he was NOW. This was all that was left. She had no doubt, even without THE Darkness in him, Gold would still be every bit as conniving and manipulative and dark as he had been, because that was who he was NOW. He was a villain now, he WAS the Dark One. No one seemed to grasp that he had WANTED to be the Dark One, and so he would be once more. She'd make damned sure of that.

She had experienced what it was like to have a part of you taken away, something so intrinsic to your nature, something that was in your blood and body and soul. What Isaac had done had violated her more than anyone could realize. It took away her magic, it took away her heritage, her personality, her spirit, her life and experiences and hard taught lessons. It cut her off and broke her down and repieced her into something she wasn't. She would NOT condemn her true love to that, to wake and find himself without a part of himself, to find himself changed without his permission or authorization. She would not have him suffer that.

She had realized what August had, this was going to happen no matter how hard she fought, the heroes would force it to. The most she could do to help her true love was to ensure he woke only when he was himself again.

"You _swear to me_ ," she looked the Apprentice in the eye, shaking with the effort it was taking her not to lash out at him, attack him, as the instinct was demanding she do, "That this is different than the other times, that he will not feel it, that he will wake only when his Darkness is restored, when he is whole again. _Swear it_ on your magic."

"I swear on my magic," the Apprentice acquiesced, knowing that this was a very traumatic topic for the woman before him. Despite her having experienced something similar as a child, it had NEVER left her, it wasn't something that ever would, and he understood her need to know this wasn't the same.

In her mind, if she had nearly died for being dark a mere 4 years, what would it do to Rumpelstiltskin who had been dark for 300? But this truly was very different. The darkness in her, she was born with it, it was her own darkness. The one he was going to remove was another entity entirely, a separate organism so to speak, a parasite that was unrelated to the darkness in Rumpelstiltskin at all. If he could pull the darkness that had latched onto him off, the man would still remain, but that cursed darkness would be taken.

"He will live," he swore to her, "On my magic, on my life, he will live."

It was the only promise he could give her that he knew she'd accept. If he was willing to risk losing his magic and his own soul should the promise be broken. The others wouldn't know, wouldn't realize that he'd sworn a magical oath in this, that he was swearing Gold would be well or else he would lose everything he had sworn in the promise.

But it was the only thing that had gotten Piper to step aside, though she pointedly took Gold's hand and refused to let go.

He gave her a nod and pulled the hat from the box, holding it in one hand as he began the spell, "Purest evil, blackest bloom, darkness, too, can find its doom..." he reached into Gold's chest and pulled his heart out, the thing nearly completely black, just the barest speck of red still in it, and held it up to the Hat as he activated it, "Never dying, but contained, bound inside the falcon's chamber, shorn of anger, thornless danger, there for now it shall remain," he squinted as a golden light began to shine from the Hat, a darkness starting to pull away from the heart, like a sticky mass with tendrils clinging to it as it was sucked towards the portal.

Piper gasped as she felt the Dark One's dagger burning against her leg and pulled it out of her boot, staring as Rumpelstiltskin's name began to fade from the blade.

"It is done," the Apprentice intoned as the glow faded, leaving him holding a pure white, shining heart that he placed back into the man's chest, "Rumpelstiltskin was the Dark One for centuries. His return to the man he used to be will not be easy, nor permanent," he added for Piper when she essentially growled at him, waving his hand over the man to cast the promised preservation spell, "This will preserve him, until we discern a ritual to guard his heart...before returning the Darkness."

"Should we really ret…" Mary Margaret had JUST started to speak, before a blast of light shot out of the Hat.

"Everybody step back!" Emma cried, pulling Henry back as the hat fell over, the black mass that was the Darkness shooting out of it, rising into the air and rushing at the Apprentice, circling him, striking at him as he tried to push it away…till it flew down his throat, choking him from the inside.

Piper tried very hard to be surprised at the action, she truly did, but she knew the Darkness that resided in the Dark One, it would NOT be happy to be forced out of its host, it would want revenge.

Emma quickly rushed forward, her hands glowing as she used her magic to pull the Darkness out of him, trying to pull it back towards the hat when she lost control and it shot out of the room through the mail slot on the door, the Apprentice falling to the ground, barely breathing.

"You three!" Emma turned to Mary Margaret, David, and Hook, "Go after it! I'll be right there!" before she turned to August while they ran out, "Help me make him comfortable," she nodded at the Apprentice, August rushing to help get the man up and moved to a table, Henry by Piper, checking on Gold, "I gotta go," Emma tried to get up to leave and help the others when the Apprentice grabbed her arm, coming to for a moment, "What is it?"

"Long before your stories began," the man wheezed, "The Sorcerer battled the Darkness. He was able to keep it from consuming the realms by tethering it to a human soul, so it could be controlled with a dagger."

"The Dark One," Piper stood and moved to Emma's side, having heard the story from Gold himself.

"The Sorcerer is the only one with the power to destroy the Darkness once and for all, before it destroys everything."

"Destroy the Darkness and you destroy the balance of all things," Piper shook her head, disgust in her voice.

These heroes! They were _worthless_! This was almost as bad as what Snow had done to Emma, being so frightened of the dark that they sought to destroy it, so that there would only be light…not even realizing that light wouldn't and couldn't exist without the dark! Contain it, trap it if you must, but never ever destroy it or risk unbalancing the entire universe!

Emma's jaw tightened at that, seeming to hear the same thoughts about her parents in that, "Where is he? Who is he?"

"He is far, far from here," the Apprentice murmured, "Find him. His name is...his name is…"

"Merlin," Piper cut in, why could heroes never just get to the bloody point!

"Yes," the Apprentice breathed, "Merlin. You must...stop...the Darkness. Find...Merlin."

Emma shook her head, "I need to go," she turned, "Henry, stay with August and Piper, I need to go make sure the Darkness doesn't attack anyone," she looked at Piper, "Maybe I can get it back in the hat before it strikes."

"Emma!" Piper shouted as Emma turned and ran out. She shot August a look before rushing after her niece, knowing that there was likely no way, now that the Darkness was truly free, that it could be contained in the hat.

No, in order for it to be controlled and neutralized…it had to be IN someone.

It would be attracted and drawn to the person with the greatest potential for corruption, the person with the least darkness in them.

And there was one person the dimwitted heroes had ensured that would be.

Emma.

~8~

Piper was very thankful that the Darkness hasn't gone far, she hadn't had to run too quickly or too much to find Emma, nor did she have to wait and try to work out where the Darkness might be lurking.

It was quite obviously attacking someone right at that very moment, Regina.

There, in the middle of the street, just outside of Granny's, was a large vortex of Darkness swirling around the woman. Robin Hood, she could see, had tried to break through but fallen back. It did make sense it would target Regina before Emma had left the room where the means of trapping it, the Hat, had been resting, Regina did have the second darkest heart in Storybrooke besides for Gold. HER heart was more stone than dark, she doubted it could be sensed, and the Darkness clearly wanted something to latch onto.

Darkness called to darkness, she had said once. The Darkness would be drawn to Regina, before, she knew, it would settle for Emma, wanting a bigger feast of purity to devour.

And she was _not_ going to let that happen.

She took a breath before she pulled the dagger out of her boot and held it up above her head.

The reaction was nearly instant, the Darkness swarmed into the air, releasing Regina to her knees, and shot straight for her, circling her instead.

"PIPER!" Emma screamed as she saw it, running over to her, trying to see her through the swirling of the tendrils, hear her above the noise of the Darkness.

Piper was breathing heavily as she stood in the middle of the cyclone, one hand pressed on her stomach, realizing far too late that this had been the _worst_ thing she could do, but it got all muddled in her head. All she could feel was the knowledge that the Darkness would go after Emma, that it would attack her family, and _she_ had to stop it, prevent it…and now she and her child were at its focal point. This was _exactly_ what Gold had been fearful of, that her instincts would push her to put herself in its path for the sake of her family.

But, as she stood there, she realized…it wasn't attacking her.

It was swirling around her, yes, it closed in every now and then, as though it were trying to touch her, to cling to her…but it kept bouncing back. The moment it got near her stomach, it swelled away from her.

It seemed she and Gold had both been correct, the Darkness would target her if she put herself in its way, but it DID sense itself in her, in her child, and would not destroy a second vessel.

And that was when it hit her, it would sense the child in her, the Darkness in it, but she doubted, without a host, that the Darkness was conscious enough to understand _what_ was in her. It likely saw her as a second Dark One and it couldn't occupy a host that was already taken…

She needed to think quickly before it realized that and latched onto someone.

"Piper, no!"

She could hear Emma through the Darkness though she could hardly see her, vaguely she thought she heard Mary Margaret shouting out 'Rose' too but she doubted it. She looked up at the dagger in her hand, she needed a plan, she needed one fast, she…

"EMMA!" she cried when she felt something shove against the dark cyclone, only to see Emma, her body encased in the soft glow that she'd used to grab the Darkness before, pushing her way through, "Get back!" she tried to warn.

But the look in Emma's eyes, the determination, she knew her niece would not be deterred…

So she did her best to hold onto the dagger even as Emma reached out and tried to pry it from her hand.

"No!" she struggled, but the Darkness was starting to slip from around her, it was starting to move towards Emma, to push HER away from the girl it now had a taste of, "Emma don't!"

It was too late, with one last yank, Emma managed to pull the dagger out of her hand, stumbling back as Piper fell to the ground behind her, the Darkness swarming Emma as she looked at her.

"I'm sorry!" Emma yelled, before looking over her shoulder at her family and Hook, "I'm sorry!"

And then, in the span of a mere second, a flash of light went off…and the dagger Emma had been holding dropped to the ground, the only thing left behind of her.

The street grew silent as the small group stared in horror at the dagger now bearing Emma's name on it...and that was when the true magnitude of what happened finally sunk in, when they looked around at who was left standing.

For not only had Emma vanished…

Piper had too.

To be continued…in…Black Roses!

A/N: _Long_ note to follow, but talks about my reasoning/thoughts for the chapter and the changes to the episode ;)

First off, I HAVE to say...did anyone else go 'Oh my god' when Gold was all 'I will always find you?' I feel like, just to be a little evil, I _had_ to stick that in there. Just once, just ONE time, I had to have Dark Rose say Snowing's line, it just HAD to happen once ;)

Moving on to the meat of the chapter, I was very conflicted about what sort of story should take place in this AU chapter. A part of me wanted to have Snow going Dark and Piper being dark and the two of them just ruling over the land with an Iron fist and causing chaos and devastation together. But at the same time, I felt like how the episode went was a let down, because all they did was swap stories, Regina's for Snow's, and it wasn't very original. I wanted to try and give a unique take on it, change it in more of a realistic way, where it wasn't just a copout of swapped stories, make it more of a story that actually follows sense and logic and shows how a few minor changes to history can alter everything.

I tried to keep more consistency in the chapter than I felt the episode had in terms of consistency in how villains and heroes were 'rewarded' or 'punished.' Like if Isaac wanted the Heroes to lose...why make them the very villains he supported? Wouldn't that eventually mean that he'd want them to win? If he wanted the heroes to suffer, why make Regina still a heroic figure that people would love? Why give another hero, like Robin, A happy ending? I tried to make it a little more of a pattern here.

The foreshadowing I mentioned earlier was when Gold and Piper were talking about if she should try to find a way to reconcile with Snow, Gold knew without a doubt that Piper wouldn't be happy without her family being at peace with her, so when he said to Isaac that he wanted Piper to be as happy as possible, it meant giving her her family back. Gold's happy ending was having his heart cured and having Piper happy. Piper's happy ending was having her family all together with no fighting, just BEING family. The only way that could happen, to Isaac, was for her not to be a Siren, something that was the catalyst for their falling out. I didn't want to just swap stories with Snow being a Siren instead, because that was too unoriginal and felt too much like the copout episode we got. I felt it would change far too much and make this entire episode/chapter too convoluted and I wanted to stay away from that. Isaac being able to 'undo' that part of Piper, making her not-a-siren, seemed to make sense to me. If he could make Emma not-the-savior and take her magic, something she was born with regardless of if the savior thing was forced on her, being a product of true love, then I felt Isaac could manipulate Piper's birth too, make her non-Siren this time. Though I really did want to stay away from swapping Piper and Snow's story too obviously.

But, equally, how could I make it so Snow, as a hero, DID suffer and wasn't fully happy?

So I thought, you can still have a decent life, but not be happy with it. Here, Snow lost everything and ended up having to rely on Piper for everything, ironic in a way. She lost her mother, she never got a step-mother, her father died, in order to marry her true love she had to face a consequence and lost her right to her kingdom and throne, became a pariah and hated and seen as a traitor to her people. I don't know if that would actually happen, but this is Isaac's retelling and he'd do anything to give Snow a harder time. Adding on, with Emma being there, Snow and David couldn't have their child because it would BE Emma, and you can't have two existing at the same time or you get a paradox and, with a greater magic than time travel being involved, I felt that the magic would be far more sensitive to disturbances in it. So no new Emma while Emma was already there, and now Snow's also lost her ability to have children. She would have NOTHING, not even her life, if not for her cousin. She essentially became and is suffering what Piper did as a child, if she steps out of her family-bubble and into the kingdom, she's loathed, but in a different manner than Piper too.

I think Isaac's whole thing was that he wanted the heroes to STOP getting everything handed to them, so he took everything away from Snow.

I wanted to incorporate Hook also, and I thought that Ruby would be an interesting choice. He ended up with a good position, but unrelated to his love, the sea. And, in this case, he also ended up with another woman besides Emma, which hurt Emma in the long run, so another bonus to Isaac for heroes suffering. Also, making him loyal and basically a servant of Rose Red's kingdom means that Hook was working for Piper and had to do what she ordered him to, he had to obey her and respect her and dedicate his life to protecting her and her kingdom, a far cry from how Hook felt about Piper ;)

I was originally going to focus on JUST Piper's scenes in this chapter, but I felt that, with the changes to who the heroes and villains were, I needed at least one scene with Henry and Regina, and Robin, to portray who the true villain was and how both Zelena and even Marian featured into this. Here the villain was the Wicked Witch, she wanted what Regina had, but when Regina fled Leopold instead of staying married to him, she was even angrier that the woman gave up being queen and hunted Regina down like Snow did in the episode. Because, in the episode, it was Zelena that Robin married, I wanted to find a way to keep that, because Zelena's happy ending would be not only being powerful and the greatest sorceress but also destroying Regina's happy ending. So she did what she did in the show, used an image of Marian to pretend to be another woman that could woo Robin without the 'green skin' thing being noticeable, and really ruin Regina's life by taking her soul mate away on top of everything else.

I also wanted to make this chapter reveal that this was NOT what Piper and Gold agreed to. But with all that was going on, similar to how Piper was when Gold was captured by Zelena in the Enchanted Forest and how Gold was when Piper was in the hospital, they became the desperate ones. As villains often do, they were too overconfident in the fear they'd put into Isaac to think that he would betray them. But Isaac knows his characters, better than they thought he did, and he knew if he wrote THIS story, then Piper and Gold would be powerless and wouldn't be ABLE to threaten him or harm him. He felt safe. He tricked them and wrote a story that seemed to give them happiness, but it was at the expense of other people's.

Isaac, similar to villains, also underestimated the 'goodness' in Gold and Piper, the one that only comes about when it comes to family. He underestimated how much they still loved their family and the bonds that tied them to Emma and Henry even while in the story. He thought they were villains so of course they'll want to keep their power and happiness _no matter what_. But he failed to understand that Piper will always put her family first, that villains aren't all evil and heroes aren't all good. Lines are blurred and there are numerous shades of grey. So what he was expecting them to do, they didn't, and he had to resort to going to Zelena to warn her as well.

I can say that the Apprentice snapping the magic quill and not Henry choosing to do so will be very important later. I felt like, unlike in the show, Henry had a real reason to want to USE the pen and after the debacle the Apprentice faced with Isaac doing the same, that he and the Sorcerer would be in agreement that they would take one more chance, find one more Author that could handle it or that was it. Given that Henry snapped the quill and they are very hard to come by in the show, it didn't seem like the Apprentice was overly concerned about Henry actually being able to BE the Author if he had no pen to do it with. So why wouldn't HE be the one to snap it this time if he felt Henry was going to fall into the same trap as Isaac. I think, in his mind, he was also protecting Henry, keeping him from starting to use the power for a 'dark' purpose like Isaac had, and also giving them a different way to get the Darkness out of Gold. But it will have an impact on Henry that will be important in the next story ;)

I'm sorry if this chapter let down anyone in that it was more 'heroic' and calm than villainous and dark, but I was just really annoyed at the actual episode for not trying to come up with unique things in how to make the heroes villains and villains heroes than to just swap stories. So I tried to be different while still keeping the overall spirit of the episode and the characters in tact.

And...end my notes on the chapter lol :)

For the next STORY, I decided that 'Black Roses' would be a good title as they are often symbols of anarchy and there is going to be a lot of chaos and things being thrown off balance, a lot of darkness and challenges, and things being twisted. I'm really excited for the next story }:) It should be up shortly after season 5's last episode airs ;)

For anyone interested, I'll be posting my new/next Thor/OC (Athena) story today too, in a few hours ;)

I want to take a minute to thank you all also, for all your understanding with the delays to the story and your continued support. It really meant a lot to me and I am so happy that you've enjoyed the story so far :') Thank you, to anyone that read/reviewed/favorited/followed/anything this story, I love you all so much you have no idea :')

Some notes on reviews...

I'm actually really glad that you think Piper is smug, it's very much intentional. I think a lot of villains are smug and it often causes them to fall into traps and overestimate themselves and their plans. We see some here, Piper was smug in thinking she'd frightened Isaac into doing their bidding, but he turned the tables on her. She was overconfident in thinking she could take the Darkness and hold it at bay, and realized too late that wasn't the case. They eventually fall into traps where their smugness causes issues, not always right off the bat, but as the story goes ;) When it came to listing the family history, I feel like I had the intention clear in my head but I don't think it came across, Piper was saying it because Zelena was there and she wanted to sort of rub it in the woman's face that SHE, a dark creature, has a family that loves her (for the most part) and wants her around and is connected and there for each other, while Zelena was abandoned. I'll go back and see if I can make that clearer though, thanks! :) And I understand the villain-sympathy. A lot of it is intentional as a set up for the next story where we'll see Emma actually coming to understand a villain mentality and the actual temptation of the dark and how they view their own actions. Some of it is an effect of the half of the season, Piper's been in the shadows, operating behind the scenes and not really actively _doing_ much villainy but letting Snow dig her own grave, so to speak, and get others to do the dirty work so it comes across (as she gains more people knowing the truth of what Snow did to Emma and herself), that she's in the right more. She hasn't really been able to actively DO much villainy and what she does do others interpret out of context so it seems like she hasn't done anything wrong, because she hasn't really DONE anything lately :) But I do understand and there will be instances in the future of people questioning her actions more and remarking on what she's done too ;) I can say Camelot will especially be very on edge about the Piper being there and bring up a lot of her darker past ;) We'll also see more of Piper being firmly planted in the villain category in the next story. I was trying to have this story be more obvious about her walking the line between hero and villain, flitting between them as you said, because this was the story where she really started to feel the strain of having family on both sides pulling at her. It was also a lead in to her finally falling to one side more permanently too, so I'm actually really happy that you picked up on it and that it got to you :) I think a lot of why people are 'ok' with what Piper or Gold do is context and mentality. In the real world, yes you'd call the cops on someone you loved if they murdered someone to protect you...in cold blood. But would you call the cops if they murdered someone in defense of you, like legitimate self-defense of you being physically attacked in front of them and, in the course of protecting you, killed the other person? Probably not. A BIG part of why no one (Henry, Emma, August) was ok with what Snow did in banishing Gold was, in their (Henry, Emma, August's) POV and having only really read about but not witness/experienced nor been exposed to all the really deep and dark things Gold (or Piper) had done, it was preemptive. She was operating under the assumption that, because he was free, he was going to go on a rampage, when he really wasn't. I mean, he hasn't gone through the town burning down buildings and tearing out hearts and murdering everyone in sight...Regina did that to Piper's entire kingdom, but she's still not a 'threat' to the town because of Henry...yet Gold is, despite Henry being his biological grandfather. The story also focuses on mostly Snow, Henry, Emma, and August outside of Piper and Gold with a little Regina thrown in, and of that small group, three of them are swaying more towards Piper and Gold's side. So it's not really everyone is ok with it or sympathizing, the entire town would back Snow up and all the other heroes would agree with her, but a minority (that the story follows more of) didn't, so it comes across as everyone being ok with it, when it's really just three people, we will see more of how others are reacting to this in the next story though ;) I think the show, also, operates in a 'pick and choose' mentality for the law. Like, Emma murdered Maleficent, but she was a dragon, so medieval/fairytale law. Gold sends a wraith after Regina, fairytale law. Regina essentially attempts murder and nearly kills her son, she's not locked up or tried for it, fairytale law. They seem to go back and forth between what's accepted and lawful based on the real world and the fairytale world and, more often than not, fairytale law wins out, which is reflected here. It's just normal and expected, what villains like Piper and Gold do, in fairytale law sort of thing, I think :) But I really am very glad you picked out those four points, I was really trying to make those come across a little clearer, probably not in the best way (I'll work on that), but a lot of it was to set up the next story so I'm really glad that they stuck out at you ;) Thank you! And I'll keep them in mind as I go forward :)

The AU won't be up for a while yet, with OUAT only halfway through the season and this story still needing to get through season 5, I'm not sure. Originally I was planning to put it up after the show was officially over. And, as bad as it is to say, I'm hoping this season is the last :/

Not quite what we got here no, sorry! I hope you still liked it though :)

I think I'd feel better about Rumbelle if they had some sort of honesty between them too. A relationship built on lies won't last and I feel like ALL Gold had done in the show was lie to Belle and Belle, even when she suspected he was lying, fooled herself into thinking she was wrong and it's not healthy for either of them :/ Thank you for the story suggestions, I try not to read stories in the same fandom I am or plan to write in though, so as not to be influenced by other works and preserve the integrity and originality of my own work :) And so far it seems like I'll be writing OUAT for a few years yet lol :)

I haven't considered an AU like that, no :) Mostly because Sirens are so family based that, unless Snow was actively cruel and cold and hurtful to Piper, she'd still love her and I can't see Snow being like that to anyone ;) I can say that I come close to that at one point in the AU I have planned, Piper will discover something while raising Emma that makes her think a little less favorably about her cousin yet she still raises Emma with love ;)

I'm glad you liked how Regina sort of played the 'woe is me' card for a minute lol :) I think it's a very human thing to want to feel that you're the one wronged the most even when you've hurt someone else, but it's also a very 'villain' thing to do, had to have a touch of the villain-Regina coming back to play :) The story will probably be Captain Swan, but a slower pace than in the show. My Hook/OC will be very Swanfire though :) Oh Isaac SO double crossed them, and in leaving Henry behind sort of sealed his fate when the Siren gets loose one day }:) I can't believe it's over too! I'm very excited to post season 5's story though, hopefully the second half of the season won't completely destroy my plans for it though, fingers crossed :) In the AU, Henry would be seen by Piper as more her grandson than nephew yup, but we'll have to wait and see if Henry is even born or if it's the same Henry and things ;) I hope you liked the chapter! :)


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